A Christmas Song Book
by 554Laura
Summary: Part of the Bones Fan Fiction Christmas Challenge. The chapters will involve several different Bones characters, and may be funny, sad, thoughtful, or defy description, but they will all be inspired by a Christmas carol or song...some very familiar, and some maybe not as much. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I don't own Bones...
1. Shepherds

_While shepherds watched their flocks by night,_

_All seated on the ground,_

_An angel of the Lord appeared,_

_And Glory shone around…._

"NO FAIR!," Hank Booth shouted as he ran into the house and down the hall to his bedroom after Mass one Sunday morning. "I'M NOT GONNA DO IT! NO FAIR!"

"What's not fair?" Surprised at Hank's tantrum, Brennan turned to her husband as he came into the kitchen, with Christine hot on his heels.

"Hank's upset that he has to play a shepherd in the Christmas pageant.," ten year old Christine said in a condescending manner, rolling her eyes at her little brother's outburst. "I tried to explain it to him, but…"

"That's enough, Christine." Her father's tone made it clear that her input wasn't necessary at that moment.

"But Daddy…"

"I mean it. Don't tease Hank any more, okay?" Booth pulled a mug from a nearby cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Now...do you have any homework this weekend?"

"No...but Daddy…"

Glaring sternly at his daughter over the rim of his mug, Booth took a sip and set it aside. "If you don't have any homework then you can go practice your part for the pageant, or go read a book...or find something else to do...but leave Hank alone. No more making fun of him about being a shepherd. Do you understand me? I want you to think about what you said to him. It really hurt his feelings, and I'm very disappointed in you. We'll discuss the consequences later."

Suitably contrite, Christine nodded and quickly went to her room to find something to do until her father had cooled off.

Surprised by the uproar, Brennan turned back to her husband. "What on Earth is going on?"

Booth exhaled slowly as he picked up his coffee cup. "Well, the Sunday school classes are putting on their annual Christmas pageant…and the kindergartners all have parts to play..."

"Okay…" Brennan's brow furrowed as she thought things through. "Hank has looked forward to participating in the pageant for a long time...since Halloween, I think. He's talked about it for weeks...he should be happy instead of being upset…"

"Oh, he was real happy...he was perfectly content to be one of the shepherds until Christine explained to him that shepherds in Jesus' time were impoverished and illiterate…" Booth took another sip of his coffee. "...and things went downhill quickly after that…"

"But she is correct. Shepherds had a low socio-economic status during that era. It was dangerous work, and very few people wanted to do it, so most of the men taking the job were on the margins of society." Brennan shrugged as she began to unload the dishwasher. "I fail to see the problem with her telling him the truth."

"The problem is that Hank didn't know what 'impoverished and illiterate' meant...that is, until Christine clarified. She told him that the shepherds were poor and dumb."

"Oh." Grimacing slightly, Brennan sighed. "I keep forgetting that her vocabulary is advanced for her age."

"Yeah, it is...and, you know, I don't think she deliberately meant to make Hank mad...the first time she said it. It was the repetition...the whole singsong 'you're gonna be a poor, dumb sheepherder' bit over and over, and then she told Hank that Sister Helen had probably selected him to be a shepherd because he could play the part so well...since he's so dumb." Booth shook his head as he puffed out an exasperated sigh. "We need to give Christine some consequences for being mean to Hank, but right now, I'm gonna go talk to him and see if I can get him calmed down, or Sister will have one less shepherd in the pageant."

Brennan nodded in agreement. "Aren't some of the other boys in his class going to be shepherds? Maybe he will feel better if he knows he isn't the only one."

Setting his cup on the counter, Booth rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. I guess I'll go find out."

Oooooooooo

"Hey, buddy." Booth peeked around Hank's bedroom door. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Sniffling loudly, Hank nodded as he sat on the floor playing with his toy cars. "I guess."

"Okay." Entering the room, Booth sat down on the floor next to his son. "Listen...I know Christine hurt your feelings…and I know you're mad..."

"Yeah, I am." Hank studied one of the toy truck he'd been playing with. "Are you mad at _me_, Daddy?"

Surprised by the question, Booth chuckled softly. "No...why would I be mad at you?"

"Maybe 'cause I don't wanna be in some dumb play being some dumb shepherd, taking care of some dumb sheep."

"Well, I guess if you don't want to be a shepherd, that's okay, although I think Sister Helen will be real disappointed. You don't want to make her sad, do you?"

"Nah...Sister's nice, but Benji, Joey, and Alex are gonna be shepherds, too, so she'll have plenty." Hank ran the truck over his knees. "Maybe I can be an angel or one of the wise men or something…"

"Yeah, that might work, but here's the thing, buddy. You already told Sister Helen you wanted to be a shepherd, so she's counting on you to do that very thing. You can't let her down now." Seeing that Hank was unconvinced, Booth shrugged. "Anyway, you know the shepherds are the most important guys in the play...after St. Joseph and Baby Jesus, that is…"

"That's not what Christine said." Hank looked up at his father with tears in his dark eyes. "She said they were dumb…"

"Well, Christine was wrong, Hank." Booth put his arm around his son and hugged him. "Do you know who the angels went to see first after Jesus was born? They didn't go see the wise men or all the rich people in Bethlehem, right?" Seeing Hank nod, he continued. "The first people who knew about Jesus being born, after Joseph and Mary, were the shepherds. And you know what else? The shepherds were some of the first guys who got to see the baby after He was born. Now...think about it. Do you think the angels would've gone to see a bunch of dumb guys with that Good News? They wouldn't have wasted their time if the thought the shepherds couldn't handle it, right?"

Hank thought over his father's question for a few seconds. "Well...I guess not."

"That's right." Booth nodded. "The shepherds are some of the most important people in the story, because they're regular guys, just like you and me. Jesus came for everybody, not just the rich guys, or the strong guys, or the smart guys, okay? That's why the angels told the shepherds first thing. Now, you don't want to miss out on one of the most important guys in the story, do you? Anyway, you'll get to carry a big stick for tending the sheep if you're a shepherd.. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Yeah!" Hank smiled broadly as he hugged his father. "Thanks, Daddy."

"No problem, Hank. I bet Sister Helen is gonna be so relieved to hear you're going to play that part. So no more tears, okay?"

"Okay. Daddy?," Hank said softly as his father got up from the floor.

"What?"

"Is Christine really smarter than me?"

Smiling at his son, Booth patted his head. "Nah...she's older than you, so she knows more things, and she is smart about a lot of things...but you're smart, too, just in different ways. There's a lot of different ways people can be smart.." His voice dropped to a whisper. "See, I'm smarter than Mommy in some ways, but I don't tease her about it, because I don't want to hurt her feelings, okay?"

Satisfied, the little boy smiled. "Okay. Thanks, Daddy."

"No problem, Hank."

As he stepped out into the hall, Booth was surprised to see his wife standing there waiting for him.. "Phew...that was a close call, but another crisis has been averted. Hank's all set to be a shepherd again."

"I'm glad." Brennan smirked at her husband as he walked past her. "Booth, do you really think you're smarter than me in some ways?"

"Oh, you heard that, huh?" Recognizing the trap, Booth shook his head and gave her a big charm smile. "Of course I know I could never be smarter than you, Bones. No way. You're way more intelligent about everything than I could ever be." He chuckled softly as he walked away from her, smiling to himself, knowing that her vanity would probably be appeased by his statement. "Hey...what's for lunch?"

She shrugged as she followed him into the kitchen. "I suppose, since you're so much smarter than me about some things, you can figure that out for yourself. That won't hurt my feelings at all."

"Aw, c'mon...I already said you were really smart, right?" Smiling at his wife as he embraced her, Booth waggled an eyebrow. "Hey...maybe if we have time later this evening, you can show me just how smart you are, okay? You can be the sheep, and I'll be the shepherd...and I'll have to come find you...and bring you back to bed..."

"We'll see." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "However, it seems that instead of the shepherd, I might be dealing with the black sheep of the family."

"All I say, Bones, is….baa, baa, baa."


	2. Gloria in Excelsis Deo

**_A/N: If you aren't familiar with the tune normally called "Angels We Have Heard on High", you may want to find it online somewhere to fully appreciate this chapter._**

**_Thanks for the reviews. They inspire me to continue writing._**

* * *

_Angels we have heard on high,_

_Sweetly singing o'er the plains._

_And the mountains in reply,_

_Echoing their joyous strains._

_Gloria in excelsis Deo!_

_*/*/*/*/*_

Humming her favorite Christmas carol, Christine was putting the final touches on her makeup as she got ready for her big date. As she stood back to admire her reflection, she smiled before doing a model twirl. It was really happening! She was actually going to her school's Winter Ball with Kyle Browning! He was simply the most gorgeous boy alive, and she was ecstatic! She felt like she just might burst with happiness!

She sighed happily as she pulled her dress from her closet and took it from its hanger. It was lovely...she had to admit to herself that her mother had been right this time. Now that she was older, being all of sixteen, she'd needed something more sophisticated than the frilly dresses she might have preferred last year.

Light danced from the shimmering silver fabric as she held it up to her torso and glanced in the mirror once again. Christine had really hoped for a plunging neckline, or maybe even strapless, but her father had quickly put the kibosh on those notions, since no little girl of his was going to a dance 'half naked in a dress like that', so she'd chosen a sleeveless dress with a strap that draped over one shoulder, leaving the other bare. Her father might not have been completely happy with her choice, but as her mother had pointed out, maybe he needed to compromise once in a while. Giggling at that thought, the teenager rolled her eyes. _ Yeah...like that's ever gonna happen…_

Her musings were interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door. "Christine?," her mother said. "It's almost six. Your date will be here any minute. Do you need me to help you finish dressing?"

"Oh, no! I didn't realize it was so late! Yes, I need help! Where are my shoes? What am I gonna do with my hair?" As panicked as she was, her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she heard the doorbell ring. "He's here! And since I'm not ready, Daddy's gonna talk to him! Oh, my God, Mom…what if Daddy goes into his whole 'I'm an FBI agent, so behave' spiel?"

"Christine, relax." Her mother smiled as she handed a pair of strappy sandals to her daughter. "It's not like your father is going to interrogate Kyle as if the young man is some sort of criminal…"

"Come on, Mom. I'm pretty sure Daddy did a background check on him at work okay? Where are my earrings?"

Ooooooooooo

As chaos ensued upstairs, Kyle Browning sat perched on the edge of the sofa, fidgeting with the box holding Christine's corsage, and trying to be calm. He'd always heard that animals and FBI agents could smell fear, and as he attempted to smile at Christine's formidable father, he began to believe it was true. Clearing his throat, he decided that maybe some small talk was in order. "How about those Capitals? A hat trick last night against the Flyers…"

"My dad's a Flyers fan." Eleven year old Hank flopped down on the sofa next to Kyle. "He wasn't too happy about that…" Sticking out a hand, the boy smirked at the tuxedo clad young man sitting next to him. "Hi. I'm Christine's brother, Hank."

"Oh.,,,hi. I'm Kyle...well, I guess you know that..." Groaning inwardly, the young man ran a hand through his blond hair. "Is she ready yet? We need to get going…"

"Nah...it's gonna take her a lot of time to get pretty enough to go to some fancy dance." After glancing at his father, who was pretending to read the paper, Hank grinned at his new friend. "Hey, wanna see some pictures of Christine when she was little?"

"Um...I guess so?" Squirming nervously, Kyle looked toward the hallway, hoping his girlfriend would be arriving soon. "So what's on there?"

Handing Kyle the tablet, Hank shrugged. "I think it's an old Christmas video. She's really little in it...maybe three or four…" After another peek at his dad, who seemed to be snoring softly, Hank pressed play and turned the screen toward Kyle.

*/*/*/*/*

_Booth's voice could be heard in the background. "Are you gonna sing a Christmas song for Pops, Christine?"_

_Nodding shyly, the little girl twisted the hem of her red velvet dress. "Uh huh! I'm gonna sing about angels!," she lisped cheerfully. "It's my favorite!"_

"_Well, I'm sure he'll like it, but you've gotta sing real loud so he can hear you, okay?"_

"_Christine…," Brennan interjected, adjusting the perky Christmas bow in the child's hair. "Get your finger out of your nose…"_

"_Oh, don't worry about that thing, Bones...she looks fine...beautiful, just like her mother, right? So get out of the picture and let her sing! Okay, whenever you're ready, baby girl…let'er rip..."_

_Squaring her shoulders, the child twisted a strand of auburn hair around her finger and began to sing loudly, rocking back and forth in time with the music. _

'_Angels we have heard outside,_

_Sweetly swinging from airplanes_

_And the mountains say goodbye_

_As boys ride away on trains._

_Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh (pausing for a big breath) oh-oh-oh-oh (another pause) oh-oh-oh-oh ree ah _

_On the eggshells we go…_

_Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh (pausing again) oh-oh-oh-oh (another pause, this time with a giggle) oh-oh-oh-oh ree ah_

_On the eggshells we-ee-ee go…'_

_Brennan's surprised gasp and Booth's loud laughter could be heard as Christine loudly sang the chorus again before trying to do a curtsey._

"_That was beautiful, Chrissy…"_

"_But Booth….those aren't the correct words…in fact, they aren't even close...it was gibberish...nonsense..."_

"_Oh, that's not important, Bones...she was singing her best for Pops, and that's all that matters. He's gonna love it…"_

_*/*/*/*/*_

Christine arrived in the family room just in time to hear the end of her childish singing, and she was thoroughly mortified. "Oh, my God, Hank! I can't believe you showed that to my date! What is wrong with you? Mom...Hank's trying to ruin everything," she wailed.

Unconcerned with his sister's discomfort, Hank shrugged. "I just thought it would help him get into the Christmas spirit, that's all…"

Unfortunately for Hank, his mother was not amused. She took the tablet and pointed to the hall. "To your room...now. I'll deal with you shortly."

"What's going on?." Booth grumbled softly. Acting as if he was awakening from a nap, he sat up in his recliner and gave Kyle a bit of stink eye. "Did you make my little girl cry?"

"DADDY!" Christine shook her head as she took Kyle's hand. "It wasn't Kyle...it was Hank...but I guess it's no big deal…I'm not really crying..."

"Oh, no sir, Mr. Booth...I mean, Agent Booth. I'd never want to make Christine cry. I was just watching some old home videos with her little brother, that's all.." Kyle scratched the back of his neck nervously. "We need to get going…"

"I want some pictures first." Arching an eyebrow, Brennan turned to her husband. "Isn't there something you need to say?"

"Oh, yeah." Glowering ever so slightly at Christine's date, he cleared his throat. "Have fun...be careful...and hands off…"

"DADDY!"

Brennan narrowed her eyes at her husband. "Booth, if they're going to dance, Kyle will have to touch Christine, but I'm sure he'll be a gentleman….right, Kyle?"

"Yes, of course. I promise…" Kyle handed Christine her corsage and her wrap as they got ready to leave. "We'll be careful. Nice to see you both…" After a quick photograph, the young couple made their escape into the night.

"Hmph…" Booth turned a page on his paper. "I guess he's nice enough…"

"He is very nice, Booth. Hank, on the other hand…"

"Hank is a typical younger brother, trying to bug his sister, but I suppose we will have to reinforce the fact that he needs to leave Christine and whoever she dates alone. I'll talk to him."

Picking up the tablet, Brennan smiled as she replayed the recording. "This video is really cute…"

"Yeah, it is, but I can see how she might be embarrassed by it, with her singing those silly words like that. That was so funny. I've always wondered how she came up with that. Pops got a big kick out of it, remember?"

Brennan shrugged as she sat down on the couch.."It's quite normal for a child to do that...she didn't understand what she was hearing, so she substituted the words she thought she was hearing for the real lyrics. People do that with The Star Spangled Banner all the time…"

"Yeah, I suppose so...I know that happens when I sing some of Elton John's stuff." Booth moved to sit next to his wife, puttin his arm around her. "Just think...some day we may get to show this to our grandchildren."

Brennan chuckled as she caressed Booth's cheek. "We may never have grandchildren if the boys Christine dates aren't supposed to touch her…"

"Bones!" Booth was scandalized. "When she's married...about twenty years from now...then it'll be okay for a guy to maybe touch her like that, but not now…"

"As I recall, you were sexually active at sixteen…"

"Yes, I remember! All the more reason why Kyle needs to keep his hands to himself!" Booth sighed as he saw Brennan's teasing grin. "Okay...I'm overprotective. I know that…"

"We've raised Christine to do the right thing, Booth. I think we can trust her judgment for the next twenty years or so." She smiled as she kissed him. "Now...let's go talk to Hank."

Oooooooooo

"I...um...I like your dress." Kyle glanced at his date, wondering why the normally talkative Christine was so quiet. The silence was becoming uncomfortable. "It looks good on you."

"Thanks." Biting her lip, Christine turned to look at him. "I'm sorry my family is so weird, Kyle. I should've known my little brother would be a pest…"

"Nah...he didn't bother me." Kyle chuckled at Christine's surprise. "I've got three little brothers, remember? Jonah and Jonathan, the twins, are ten, and Logan is seven. Hank is actually pretty tame compared to them."

"Well, I bet they wouldn't show me embarrassing videos of you…" She sighed as she fidgeted with the corsage at her wrist. "I was such a freckly little weirdo…"

"They might not show you videos, but they'd do other stuff, like asking a lot of nosy questions or having a burping contest to impress you. That's just what little brothers do. Besides…." Kyle grinned as he pulled into the parking lot outside the venue. "I thought the video was cute. I...um...I like your freckles."

"Really?," Christine said in surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah...and I liked the words you sang in your song. You must be pretty smart to make up new words like that. I like smart girls…" He put the car in park and reached over to take her hand. "...and I think you're really smart...I mean, you've got a great sense of humor, too, and you're smart...oh, I guess I said that. Awkward, but anyway..." Smiling broadly, he tilted his head to one side and winked at her. "...but just in case you can't tell, I like you...a lot."

Christine blushed slightly as her eyes met his. "I like you, too."

He sighed in relief. "That's good. Are you ready to go dancing?"

"Of course. Let's go."

As they walked hand in hand toward the pavilion, Christine laughed to herself. Her family might be weird, but they were hers, and they'd made her who she was...smart, funny, and maybe a little bit freckled. Stopping suddenly, she grinned at Kyle. "You know what? I think that since this is a special occasion, we should sing my favorite song."

He laughed out loud at the suggestion. "Okay, but you're gonna have to teach me the words…"

"No problem. Ready? Angels we have heard outside…"

They soon broke into the chorus, singing loudly and happily, ignoring their classmates' stares as they traipsed across the parking lot together. They were going to have fun at the dance that night, and they didn't care what anyone else thought.

_Gloria in excelsis Deo!_

.


	3. From the Mountain Top

_**A/N: several of you commented on the last chapter, saying that Booth wouldn't really take a nap when Christine's boyfriend arrived. My apologies...I assumed you'd realize he was playing possum. It was my father's favorite trick when I had 'company' so he could see how they really acted. I have clarified the last chapter.**_

_**Also...this chapter turned out a bit differently than I first envisioned it, but I still kind of like it, so I decided to publish it as is. Feel free to comment on it as well. Thanks. Laura.**_

* * *

_Go, tell it on the mountain,_

_Over the hills and everywhere._

_Go, tell it on the mountain, _

_That Jesus Christ is born!_

_*/*/*/*/*/*_

It was a frigid Christmas morning as Parker Booth disembarked from the gondola at the Schaufel Joch Mountain station and got ready to make another run down the snowy Stubai glacier. The conditions were perfect...almost no wind, even at that altitude, and a cloudless sky overhead.

With it being an important religious holiday, the crowds were sparse early that day, which suited Parker's plans perfectly. He'd celebrate Christmas Day with his mother and her husband, Brent, enjoying a great dinner at one of the ski resort's many fine restaurants later that day, but for right now, he wanted solitude...some time to think things through...so he'd climbed out of bed early that morning to hit the slopes. '_Nothing like racing downhill to clear my mind.,' _he thought to himself. '_Better than moping around in my room…'_

He smiled as he took in his beautiful mountaintop surroundings. The view down into the glittering white valley almost took his breath away. The contrast between the bright blue sky and the dark Tyrolean Alps, which were heavily blanketed with powdery snow, was amazing. Exhaling slowly, he decided to take a break from his exertions and warm up a bit with a cup of hot chocolate from the nearby snack bar before venturing down one of the more demanding pistes.

After stepping out of his skis, he wandered into a warm, cozy dining hall and pointed at a term on the menu that he hoped meant hot chocolate. Using his wretched German and a Boothy charm smile, he thanked the woman as he paid for his cocoa and made his way out to the observation deck. Even with all of his ski wear, he was still cold, but it was too pretty a day to sit indoors. He wanted to take in everything as long as he could, since he wasn't sure when he'd be able to return to the region.

At first he'd been excited when his mother and stepfather had announced that the family was going to Austria for their annual winter ski trip. The country had some of the best snow anywhere, and the resort where they'd been staying offered spectacular views of the massive glacier as it poured down between the jagged alpine peaks. Their hotel was only an hour or so from Innsbruck...one of the most beautiful cities in the world, full of Old World culture and sporting a vibrant nightlife. Sipping his chocolate, he shook his head as he gazed out over the snow covered valley, which was dotted with charming villages that looked as if they belonged in a book of fairy tales. If this place was so wonderful, why was he feeling so...blue?

His classmates had been envious when he told them where he was going on holiday, and he knew he should be appreciative of the amount of money his mother had laid out for this trip. The food was wonderful...the skiing was great...Brent and his mom were enjoying themselves. So what was the problem?

Parker didn't have to do much soul searching to find the answer. He could still remember how disappointed his father had sounded when he'd called to say that their plans had to change...that he was going to Austria with his mother and stepfather for ten days during Christmas vacation, and he wouldn't have time to make it to the States for Christmas...maybe he could arrange to be in DC for Easter.

_Dad said it was okay...that he understood, and that I needed to enjoy myself...that it's a great opportunity to have fun skiing in a great place...and I still feel rotten about it._

Of course his dad had said all the right things during their conversation. That was Seeley Booth, through and through. Parker knew his father, the eternal optimist, would somehow shrug off the hurt and be glad to see his son whenever he could make it to the US, even if neither was sure when that would be.

"But maybe, now that I'm 18 and an adult...maybe I should make a stand...maybe I should tell Mom I want to go see Dad instead of going on a ski trip at Christmas.," the young man muttered to himself. "After all, she didn't ask what I wanted to do...she just told me where and when, assuming I'd be okay with going to see Dad some other time…even if he'd been looking forward to my Christmas visit for months."

That had always been the way things were with his mercurial mother. She'd make a decision that suited her plans, assuming that everyone else would be okay with changing their arrangements to fit, because it was what she wanted to do.

_Just like moving to London. _He sighed as he drained his cup and set it aside. He'd long ago forgiven her for making him move away from his father, but he'd never be able to forget how much he'd missed seeing his dad during that separation.

It had been a good career move for his mother...he knew that now. She'd gotten a great promotion at work, with the idea that she would eventually be made a full partner in a prestigious, internationally known law firm. Naturally, she'd been thrilled...and had taken the new position without really considering how Parker might feel about leaving his father behind. She hadn't really meant to hurt either of them...at least Parker didn't want to think so...but he still regretted the time spent away from his father.

Sighing softly, Parker shook his head as he gazed out over the snowy vistas. His teenage years had been pleasant, by almost any standard. He'd had a great opportunity to attend a fine school...he had lots of spending money and a wonderful life style with his mother and stepfather. He'd traveled all over Europe...been exposed to many different cultures...had anything any kid might need...and yet, he would've traded it all for being able to see his dad every other weekend.

But it hadn't been his choice to make at the time. Being a minor, with his mother listed as his custodial parent, he'd had to move to the UK with her. He shrugged as he watched the skiers head down the slope below him. It wasn't like the UK was a bad place...it just never felt like home. He'd gone to highly desirable school in one of London's posh suburbs for 7 years, and he still felt like the 'new kid' there. He'd picked up some British slang...had a lot of friends...even a girlfriend...but he still felt like a square peg in a round hole.

He also had no idea what he wanted to do after graduation. Most of his friends were taking a gap year...time off to hike around Scandinavia or some such thing which would allow them to 'find themselves' before going off to university, but even that sort of adventure held little appeal for Parker. He felt lost...adrift...with nobody to talk to for advice. Brent was a great guy, with good ideas, but...it just wasn't the same as talking to his dad. Skype wasn't cutting it, either. What Parker needed was a face to face talk with his dad over a big meat lover's pizza.

Much to his annoyance, however, that wasn't going to happen for several months later than he had originally planned, and so now Parker was restless and irritable. Just last week he'd had a major argument with his girlfriend over what she perceived to be a lack of motivation on his part. She'd already been admitted to nursing school...her plans were mapped out, but Parker...well, he had no plans for his adult life at the moment, and wasn't close to making any, but the worst part, she'd said, was that he didn't seem to care. He was aimless...a happy-go-lucky kid, without any goals...like a boat without a rudder on the vast bleak sea of his future, and with little hope of finding his way alone.

"No wonder Meredith broke up with me. I'm a jackass...a loser. I've got to get my act together. I need to figure out what to do with my life…"

He paused as heard the faint sounds of church bells from the valley below. The faithful were being called to worship on Christmas Day. Cringing a bit, he realized how long it had been since he'd actually gone to church of his own accord. The school he attended had chapel services weekly, but his attendance was perfunctory...he rarely concentrated on what was going on during the hour he sat there in the pew.

Suddenly a vivid scene flashed through his mind. He'd gone to midnight Mass with his father one Christmas Eve...he couldn't have been more than 7 or 8, but the church service still burned bright in his memory. Closing his eyes, he could remember the scent of the slow burning beeswax candles and the incense...his father kneeling as he prayed the Lord's Prayer...the way the stained glass seemed to glow in the dimly lit nave...the priest's beautifully embroidered vestments as he went through the liturgy…and then there was the soloist...he'd never forget that soloist.

She'd been up in the choir loft behind them, and her clear soprano entranced the congregation as she sang out the Good News about the blessing they'd all received from the Lord:

_Down in a lowly manger_

_the humble Christ was born,_

_and God sent us salvation_

_that blessed Christmas morn…_

Smiling, he sang softly to himself, pleased that the song was so appropriate for his location.

"Go, tell it on the mountain…over the hills...and everywhere..."

Suddenly feeling emotional, he wiped away a hot tear, hoping it wouldn't freeze to his face. He stared down into the valley for a few more minutes, trying to regain his composure. The pistes on this part of the glacier were tricky...he'd need to concentrate on the way down…

As he stood up and threw his cup away, he overheard a couple talking about the short hike they'd made up to the stark chapel on the crest of a hill. They'd said it was tiny...just enough space for a traveler or two, but the views were spectacular...well worth the time.

Parker glanced up at the small stone building. It had a striking modern design, but it seemed to blend well with the craggy rocks surrounding it. _Maybe I should check it out while I'm here…_

Striding quickly up the hill, he was surprised to find himself alone in the structure. Sitting on the low pew, he inhaled deeply. It was so peaceful there...a calm spot to contemplate his future. After a few minutes, he rose and walked over to look down on the opposite side of the mountain. Snow was everywhere, sparkling in the bright sunlight. Leaning against the window's opening, he thought over his situation once again. He desperately needed some help in making his decisions, but who could he turn to for answers?

Parker knew what his father would say...that a man had to do what fits...what was right...and what was best for his family. That was no help, though…not when he needed answers right now...

As he watched a bird fly over the ridge, Parker suddenly remembered another verse to the song he'd enjoyed at Mass so many years before.

_When I was a seeker,  
I sought both night and day…_

He grimaced in annoyance. He knew that much...how did that help?

Then the answer came to him as if by divine intervention.

_I asked the Lord to help me, _

_And He showed me the way…_

"Prayer...I need to say a prayer? Really?" He paused, listening to the silence. With nothing else coming to mind, Parker glanced at the Heavens with silent thanks before returning to the rough hewn pew. "I guess it can't hurt."

Bowing his head, he blessed himself with the sign of the cross, just as his father had taught him as a toddler. He blew out a puff of air before continuing. "Dear Lord...I know I haven't spoken to you for many years...at least not on purpose...but I'm pretty sure my dad has been keeping you up to date on everything that's happened with me, right? Anyway, he's not around right now, and I could use some help...I guess the right word is guidance. I'm gonna be graduating soon, and I want to make my family proud...all of them, I mean...you know, Mom and Brent, and Dad and Bones, but I don't know what to do."

With a small hitch in his voice, he whispered his request. "So if you have time, maybe you could help me out. I'm not sure which way to go right now, so a suggestion would be appreciated. Am I supposed to stay in Europe, or go back to the States? What do you say, Lord? Let me know, okay? Amen."

He scrambled up from the pew as he heard feet crunching in the snow outside. Nodding to the men as he passed them when he left the chapel, Parker walked out into the bright morning sun once again.

He didn't have an answer yet...nothing concrete, anyway...but he felt as if an immense burden had been lifted from his heart. He had faith that the Lord had heard his prayer...and that an answer would be revealed to him soon.

Walking over to the ski station, Parker got ready to take another run on the Stubai Glacier. For now he knew he was going downhill, but soon, he hoped his fortunes would be on the rise. _After all...I really don't have anywhere to go but up..._

And when that epiphany finally happened, he'd be able to tell everyone the lesson he'd learned in a tiny mountaintop chapel on one snowy Christmas morning in Austria.


	4. Going Home

**_A/N: because people had mentioned that they'd like to know what Parker had decided, I've included this chapter. There may be a few inaccuracies in the details, for which I apologize. _**

**_There will be a third installment in Parker's story at a later date. In the meantime, if you have time to comment, I'd appreciate it._**

* * *

_I'll be home for Christmas…_

_You can count on me…_

_Please have snow and mistletoe,_

_And packages under the tree..._

_*/*/*/*/*/*_

It was Boxing Day...December 26...when Rebecca Howard sat down to lunch with her husband, Brent at the ski resort's well appointed _gasthaus_. Sighing softly, she shrugged as she looked over the restaurant's lunch specials. "Parker's text said he'd be a few minutes late." Peering over the top of the menu, her brows knit in concern. "I wonder if he isn't feeling well. Something seemed to be bothering him last night. He wasn't his normal cheerful self."

Brent smiled at his wife, patting her hand as he chuckled softly. "He's probably just being a kid, Becky...you know, worrying about how his hair looks or playing a computer game or something. Besides...he just recently broke up with his girlfriend, right? I mean, he'd probably planned on getting her something nice for Christmas, and that went to hell…"

"I know he was upset about that when it happened…but, seriously, he's only eighteen…he needs to get over it." She paused, asking their server for some coffee and three glasses of water. "It's not like he was going to marry her…"

"Listen, honey…" Somewhat annoyed, Brent narrowed his eyes at her. "...when you're an eighteen year old boy and you break up with your long time girlfriend, it's gonna hurt for quite a while. Don't belittle the way he feels…"

"Oh, stop. He's my son and I know how he feels." Rebecca rolled her eyes at Brent's scoff. "He just needs to move on, okay? He's too sensitive…"

_Like his father. _Rebecca hadn't actually said that, but Brent knew exactly what she was thinking. As much as he loved her, he still couldn't get a handle on how poorly she had treated her son's father from time to time. However, over the six years that they'd been married, he'd realized that nothing he could say would change her mind about it. Despite his suggestions about taking a step back, she was determined to show Seeley Booth who was really in charge of Parker's life.

He cleared his throat softly. "Look, Becky...all I'm saying is to let him feel what he wants to feel for a little while longer. He'll get over it, but it's gonna take a few months. I think he was pretty serious about her..."

"Nonsense…he's too young to be serious about some girl. He has his whole life ahead of him..." Rebecca paused as she saw Parker enter the dining room. "There he is…" She waved to get his attention, smiling proudly as the restaurant's patrons noticed the handsome young man walking towards their table.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Brent. Sorry I'm late." Seating himself without an explanation, he looked over the menu. "I think maybe I'll have some schnitzel and spaetzle…" As he set it aside, he reached for his water glass. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

Rebecca took a sip of her coffee. "Well, I thought we could go to Innsbruck to check out the Christkindlmarkt this evening. It's open until Epiphany, you know." She sat back in her chair and smiled. "If we leave early enough this afternoon, we could go by the campus at the university there. It might be more to your taste than Cambridge was…" Hearing her son sigh sadly, she stared at him in surprise. "What's wrong?"

Fidgeting with his linen napkin, Parker shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mom. I don't mean to be so negative." He bit his lip, hesitating for a few seconds. "It's just that I'm not sure I want to go to college in Europe."

"Of course, you do, Parker.," Rebecca began. "It's a wonderful opportunity…"

"However, it's not an opportunity I'm interested in." Taking a deep breath, Parker forged ahead. "I've actually been giving it some thought recently...about what I want to do...and I'm considering the University of Maryland for my college education. I'd like to study information science, and I hope to maybe pick up a minor in oceanography. Then, after I graduate from college, I want to apply to Officer's Candidate School for the US Coast Guard." Hearing his mother's frustrated groan, he exhaled slowly. "I know you've had your heart set on me staying in the UK or going to university somewhere in Europe, but that's not really what I want to do..."

Rebecca was astonished at Parker's statement. "This is a rather sudden change of plans, isn't it? I thought you wanted to be a writer...that you were set on going to school in England. Going to college in the US has never come up before, and neither has joining the military."

"I know, and I'd still like to be a writer, but I don't have any life experience...nothing to write about yet. I think I need to grow up a bit first so I'll have something interesting to put in my stories. Anyway, Dr. Brennan says it's a lot easier to be creative if you know the bills are going to be paid…"

"The boy's got a point, Becky…" Brent chuckled softly until he saw his wife's displeasure. "The Coast Guard is a great idea…"

Eyeing Parker suspiciously, Rebecca frowned. "This is your father's doing, isn't it? He's convinced you that you have to uphold some sort of Booth family tradition in the military…" She crumpled her napkin and tossed it on the table. "Well, I forbid it…"

"I'll admit...that family tradition may have something to do with it, but that isn't the only thing that I was thinking about.". Parker's eyes blazed with anger as he glared at his mother. "And, if you must know, Dad hasn't heard anything about my plans yet, okay? Anyway, it may seem sudden, but I came up with this idea several months ago after talking to Brent about his days as an officer on a cutter, but at the time...well, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do then so I kinda blew it off, but eventually I realized it was something I wanted to investigate. I think I'd like the challenge...the excitement...and also knowing that I'd be doing something worthwhile, too." He nodded at his stepfather. "Anyway, Brent says it's a great way to serve my country and that I could have a great career with them, and then I could use my degree in civilian life later on. You know how much I like the ocean and being on his yacht, right? Cutters and destroyers are bigger, of course, but I think I'd like being out on the open water. And you're right...the Coast Guard is a branch of the military...but so what? I'd be proud to follow in my dad's footsteps...and in Brent's footsteps, too."

"Parker might even be able to apply to the Coast Guard Academy, Becky…that'd be great, right?, " Brent interjected. "That way he'd be a commissioned officer when he graduates."

Parker nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, I'll probably do that, Mom, but they're really selective, so Maryland would be a good back up plan…"

Rebecca scowled as she ran her fingers over the rim of her coffee cup. "So...you just woke up this morning and decided to move to the States? And your father had nothing to do with it, right? It all sounds too coincidental to me." She sighed dramatically. "You can study Information Technology in the UK, you know…"

"But I can't attend any of their military academies, Mom. Meredith's dad is a veteran...he said I'd have to become a citizen to be considered for admission, and I don't want to wait that long." Inhaling deeply, the young man shook his head at his mother's obvious frustration. "Look, I know I haven't been sure what I wanted to do with my life, Mom. I've been kind of aimless, I guess...I didn't have any goals or any plans...but then yesterday...when I was up on the mountain, thinking about my future...you know, about what to do with my life...it just seemed to make sense on so many levels to do this...or to at least to give it a try..."

"And how do you propose to enroll in an American university while you live in the UK?" Rebecca glowered at Parker. "I'm sure you haven't considered that, have you? Or how to pay for it..." Looking over at her son, she was surprised to see a look of steely resolve on his handsome face...an expression she'd seen on Seeley's face all too often. Parker wasn't going to give in easily this time, but she was going to try to change his mind anyway. "Do you have any sort of plan, or is this just a daydream?"

Frustrated with her questions, Parker spoke sharply. "Actually, I do have a plan, Mom, and I know it's not going to be easy..." He paused as the server brought their meal, trying to regain his composure. He knew raising his voice at his mother wasn't going to get him anywhere. He needed to be calm if he wanted her to listen. "I worked it out this morning…I'm going to take a gap year. I'll need to spend some time in the States to make sure my classes from the UK will meet Maryland's entrance requirements...I'll need to take the SAT...get loans...establish residency..."

"I see...so I suppose this all came about when your father called, whining about not getting to spend Christmas with you." Rebecca pretended to smile. "Did he make you feel guilty...did he tell you I was being the bad guy, making you stay with me? Is that what inspired this sudden urge to go see him...the willingness to move away from me and go back to the States for college?"

"I haven't talked to him yet...but I did talk to Bones...I mean, Dr. Brennan. They'd sent me a Merry Christmas video from yesterday, and I tried to skype with them last night, but the time change messed me up and it didn't work out. Anyway, I tried again this morning...but Dad had to go into work for something, so I missed him…"

Rebecca shook her finger at her son. "That's the way it's always going to be with him, Parker. Work always comes first…even on the holidays. You can't count on him being available when you need him."

Brent had sat quietly as he watched the drama unfold between his wife and stepson, but now he felt it was necessary to intervene. "You know better than that, Becky. Parker's dad is in charge of his division...it must've been important for him to go in on a holiday…"

"Right. Whatever." Rebecca grimaced as she sipped her coffee. "So what sort of plan did you and Dr. Brennan concoct? I'm sure she made you think that going to the States was important enough to be worth ruining our Christmas trip…"

"Mom, you know better than that...I'm not trying to ruin our trip, okay? We've skied all over the glacier these last few days, and it's been a lot of fun, alright? I mean, I love skiing, and this is a great place to do it, but I think instead of spending my time going to Innsbruck, buying stuff I don't need or looking at a college campus I don't want to go to, I'd rather go to the States to see Dad for a few days, and anyway, I want to see if he thinks my college plans are feasible..."

"But, Parker...I wanted us to have one more trip together before you graduated...you know, some family time…just us." Rebecca brushed away a tear. "I'm sorry you're so bored with me…"

He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "C'mon, Mom...you know I'm not bored with you, okay? We've spent the week together, and it's been great, hasn't it? And it's not like I don't see you when school is in session…"

"I just thought you'd enjoy spending time with us…," Rebecca sniffled. "You know...time that was unstructured, where we could hang out…relax..."

"I have enjoyed it...I really have. It's been a great trip, and I'll remember it forever." He paused, wondering if his mother would ever understand what he was feeling at that moment. "Look, here's the thing...as much fun as I've had with you and Brent on this trip, I still miss Dad and Bones. I can't help it...I just do, and I need to talk about the college thing with them, too. So...here's what I was thinking."

He pulled out his phone and passed it to her as his words tumbled out quickly. "I can take the train from Innsbruck to Munich early on the 28th...and then catch an overnight flight from Munich to DC. I'd get in on the 29th and spend New Year's weekend with them, and then come home on the third...I don't have to be back at school until the following Monday…that way my trip here will only be cut short by two days...we can go skiing all day tomorrow if you want..."

"And how will you pay for this adventure? A round trip ticket to the US is expensive…" Rebecca studied her salad for a minute or two. "I certainly can't afford it after paying for this trip…"

"Becky…," Brent began. "We can pay for it...it's important for Parker to see his dad…"

Parker interrupted his stepfather. "Actually, Dr. Brennan has already purchased my ticket, Mom. I'll buy my own bus pass to Innsbruck and pay my train fare. Oh, and before you start in on how terrible it was for Dr. Brennan to pay for my plane ticket, I'll be reimbursing her. I've already called Mr. Freeman...he says I can work at his shop after school during the week and all day on Saturdays. That way, after I pay off my ticket, I'll have some money for my move to the States when it's time for me to start at Maryland."

Hearing his mother's gasp, Parker pushed his chair away from the table. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Mom, but I'm 18...an adult...and I think it's time that I get to make some of my own decisions about my education and whether or not I see Dad, so whether you like it or not, I'm leaving for DC in two days. Now, if you'll excuse me...I'm not hungry anymore." He rose from his seat and quickly walked away from his mother and stepfather.

"Parker, wait...Parker!" Rebecca was furious as she turned to her husband. "I can't believe this...what are you smiling about?"

"Oh, I don't know...maybe because your son has finally stood up to you. It's about time." Brent held up his hand to interrupt her angry tirade. "Listen, Becky...do you have any idea how selfish you sound? I mean, I know you're trying to do right by Parker, but it's time he made some decisions on his own…especially about his education. He's right. It's time for him to grow up...to leave the nest and make choices on his own, and you really have no reason to prevent him from doing just that..."

"Decisions and choices that were clearly influenced by his father's manipulations…," she sputtered angrily. "Parker was perfectly happy until his father turned him against me…"

"Enough of that bullshit!" Brent's voice dropped to a furious whisper. "Listen to me, Rebecca. I'm not sure why you're still so angry with Parker's father after all these years, but, from what I can tell, the guy's a decent human being who cares about his son. I really don't think he's the manipulative bastard you make him out to be. You're just upset because you're not getting your own way."

"I am not…"

"Yeah, I think you are." Brent exhaled slowly to calm down. "You know, Parker has never pulled that 'you're not my dad' shit on me when I've had to correct his behavior. Instead of being resentful, he's always been respectful of me, and I think it's because _both _of you have raised him right. So give Parker's old man the props he deserves for influencing his son the right way. He's let you have your way for years when it came to visitation rights, so maybe it's time for you to compromise for once."

"Parker's just a boy...he doesn't know…" Stunned at her husband's outburst, Rebecca was speechless for a moment. "I don't want to lose him...how can I cave in to what his dad wants? How can I let him leave and go halfway around the world away from me, Brent? I wouldn't get to see him very often...I'd miss him so much..."

"Well, here's the deal, honey...what you're feeling right now...about how you'd miss your kid if he was living somewhere else...that's what his dad feels every holiday when you keep his son from visiting, okay? And here's the kicker, Becky: if you make Parker feel bad because he wants to see his dad at Christmas, in the long run you'll end up losing your son anyway, because there'll come a day when he'll get to choose whether or not he wants to come see you...and if you manipulate him too much now, trying to keep him from seeing his father, it'll backfire...he'll become bitter, and you really will seem like the bad guy...and you may only get to see him every few years, if that often." He shook his head as she sulked. "I know you didn't ask for my advice, but here it is...as far as I can tell the best thing you can do right now is to support Parker's decisions, even if you don't agree with them. Give him a chance to work things through. Listen to what he says, okay? He's a good kid...I promise he won't let you down. Think about it, Becky...do the right thing." Exhaling slowly, Brent stood up and pushed in his chair. "I need some air…I'll see you later."

After watching him leave, Rebecca called their server over and signed the tab before going back to her room. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, Brent was probably correct. If she didn't want to lose her son...and her husband...she'd have to compromise a bit. She had a lot to think about over the next few days.

Oooooooooo

After traveling for almost 24 hours, Parker was exhausted as he checked the time on his phone once again. It was really happening...he'd be seeing his father soon.

His mother had taken him to the train station in Innsbruck the day before, kissing his cheek and wishing him a Happy New Year. Waving as the train pulled out of the station, he could see her wiping away her tears, and it saddened him to think she was unhappy, but he had no real regrets over his decision. He needed to see his father, and nothing was going to stop him…except maybe the heavy snow which had delayed his flight out of Munich for a couple of hours.

But he was on the right side of the pond now, and excited to see his dad. After hailing a cab at the airport, he'd been delivered to the Hoover's doorstep at 3:30 in the afternoon.

As he checked in with security, Parker's heart was pounding frantically. He hoped his dad was still at the office. He didn't want someone to have to come all the way downtown to pick him up and a cab to his dad's house would be outrageously expensive. On the other hand, he didn't want the guy at the desk to call ahead and spoil the surprise...and Bones had said his dad would be working that afternoon. He sighed softly and walked over to the elevator. _I guess I'll just risk it…_

As he exited the elevator and walked toward the bullpen, he was relieved to see a familiar person walking down the hall. Approaching the man, he spoke softly. "Agent Aubrey?"

Turning to the visitor, Aubrey's eyes widened in surprise. "Parker? What the hell?" The slender man offered Parker a firm handshake. "Man, this is a surprise! Look at how tall you are! Your dad didn't say anything about you being here…"

The young man put his finger to his lips. "Shh...it's a surprise." He grinned mischieviously. "Hey, would you do me a favor? Would you go tell him he has a visitor?"

"Seriously? As busy as he is right now…he'd kill me…" Aubrey smiled broadly. "...but it'd be worth it just to see the look on his face when he gets a load of you. Come on…"

They walked over to Booth's closed office door, and Aubrey knocked gently. "Booth?"

A growl came from inside. "Get the fuck out of here, Aubrey! Jesus, can't a man work in peace?"

Giving Parker a thumbs up, Aubrey slowly walked inside the room. "Listen, I'm sorry to bug you, but you have a visitor…"

"Goddammit, I don't have time for any visitors…" Suddenly speechless, Booth's mouth dropped open as his son entered the room. "Parker? Oh my God! Parker!" He threw his arms around his son, crushing him in an embrace. "I'm so glad to see you! But I thought you were skiing in Austria…"

"Yeah, well, I convinced Mom that I needed to spend some time with my Dad. I'm sorry I couldn't be here for Christmas…"

"That's okay...you're here now, and that's all that matters…it's so good to see you..."

"Thanks." Parker smiled at his dad's enthusiasm. "I have some stuff I want to talk over with you...face to face, you know? I've been considering some plans about my future…and I need some input from you and Bones...I mean, I know you're busy with work and everything..."

"Nah...this shit can wait. I need to see my kid. That's always more important..." Booth chattered happily as he quickly stacked the papers on his desk so he could leave for the day. "Yeah, we can discuss about your plans...that'd be great...how about we talk about things over a pizza tonight...maybe an extra large meat lovers with extra cheese from Andolini's? Of course, we'll have to get veggie lover's for Bones...Hey, Aubrey...wanna come home and have dinner with us?"

"Nah...it looks like you two have some catching up to do…" He patted his jacket pocket. "Oh...there's my phone...hey, Jess…" Waving at Parker, Aubrey teft the two men alone.

"You look great, buddy...the UK seems to agree with you…" Booth grabbed his overcoat and ushered his son out of his office. "How long can you stay?"

"I have to go back on the third…" Seeing his father's disappointment, Parker smiled. "However, I may be back soon. That's what I want to talk to you about…"

Booth's interest was piqued. "That sounds interesting." As they entered the elevator, he patted his son on the back. "I'm glad you're home, son…"

"Me, too, Dad. Me, too."

*/*/*/*/*

_I'll be home for Christmas,_

_If only in my dreams…._


	5. The Nativity Set

_**A/N: we'll return to Parker's story shortly. For now we're going to spend time with the rest of the family. **_

_**You might need to use your imagination a bit for this chapter, but it's all in good fun. By the way, it is not my attention to insult anyone's religious beliefs.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews. They are appreciated.**_

* * *

_Once in Royal David's City_

_Stood a lowly cattle shed,_

_Where a mother laid her baby_

_In a manger for his bed._

_Mary was that mother mild_

_Jesus Christ her little child._

_*/*/*/*/*/*_

Temperance Brennan smiled to herself as she drove through the crowded streets around the Jeffersonian. It was two weeks before Christmas...normally a very busy and stressful time as preparations were being made for the holiday, but instead she'd had an enjoyable and relaxing Saturday, spending some one on one time with six year old Hank while Booth and Christine were enjoying ice skating at Canal Park's outdoor rink. She chuckled softly as she waited for a stoplight to change. Her husband was certain that Christine had the makings of an exceptional hockey player, and he'd insisted that she needed to get in some practice while the ice was available.

Even though Brennan shuddered at the thought of their slender daughter checking a much larger girl while wearing sharp bladed skates as they chased a small rubber disk across an icy surface, she did appreciate that each of them needed to spend some individual time with their offspring, so she had indulged Booth's fanciful notions. She had, however, decided that Hank, as a beginning skater, was perhaps still too young to be ice skating on a Saturday afternoon when large crowds might be expected. It would be much better, in her opinion, for her youngest child to enjoy a seasonal exhibit at the Jeffersonian.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

The seasonal display they were going to see was a fairly recent addition to the Jeffersonian's many exhibits. A wealthy museum patron had made a sizable donation to the fund designated for refurbishing the Jeffersonian's visual arts wing, with a single caveat...that her large collection of Nativity sets be on prominent display in the museum during the Christmas season.

The museum's curator for the arts had been in somewhat of a quandary over the request. The money was needed, of course, but the Jeffersonian received federal funding as well. How could an openly religious display be installed within the building without endangering their public funds?

However, in a stroke of genius, the curator has come up with a wonderful idea, developing an exhibit that encompassed all manner of winter holidays and traditions. There was a room devoted to Kwanzaa, explaining the seven symbols that stood for each of the Nguzo Saba, or principles, which are reflective of African culture.

A second hall celebrated the many depictions of Santa Claus in advertising and calendar art, including some important Norman Rockwell pieces.

Another display explained the heroic story of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. Menorahs of every imaginable design filled the room, lifting their branches as testament to the miracle that had occurred so long ago. One small vial of oil had been enough to keep the altar lamps burning for eight days...long enough to make more oil ready for use in the Temple.

Hank had listened halfheartedly as his mother explained all there was to see in the various exhibits. He was still miffed at not being allowed to ice skate with his father and sister. Pulling on his mother's arm, he hoped to get her to move along quickly so he could go home and play games on his X box. Unfortunately, she was intent on lingering over lovely silver menorah which was inlaid with bits of colored glass.

Interested in how the object's beautiful surface reflected light, she called to Hank for him to look at it, but he didn't respond. Turning to find him, she realized he was nowhere in sight.

"Hank? Hank...where are you?" Walking into the next room, she found him with his nose pressed against a glass display case. "There you are. Why didn't you tell me where you were going? I was worried about you…"

Unconcerned about his mother's questions, he pointed at the small figures in the case. "Look, Mommy...I think it's kind of like the one at church, because that looks like Baby Jesus, with the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, but they look funny…and that wise man's camel doesn't even have a hump...and the angel isn't wearing a white dress….and where is the stable?"

Reading the information card, Brennan smiled. "This Nativity set came from Peru. The artist who made it dressed the figures in traditional Peruvian clothing, and instead of a camel, he added a llama. Perhaps llamas don't need a traditional stable." She pointed to another case. "That set came from Haiti, and it's made out of recycled metal. There are Nativities and creche scenes from all over the world in this exhibit…"

"Why so they all look so different?" Hank looked up at his mother with inquisitive brown eyes. "Aren't they all telling the same story about the same people?"

"They are, but artists can see the same thing in different ways because of their understanding of the story or their culture, so they might dress the figures in costumes native to their part of the world, or include animal species indigenous to their area. Besides, nobody really knows anything about the appearance of the people in the story, so the artist can use his or her imagination when depicting them." Brennan reached down to tousle Hank's hair. "Let's look at some more of the sets, okay? I think you'll like the one from Bali. It's batiked...and there's a wooden one from Sri Lanka..."

Hank pointed to another case. "Look at that one, Mommy...it's in a match box...it's so little…"

"It would take a lot of patience to make that, wouldn't it?" Brennan took Hank's hand and led him to the end of the room. "Look at this one. It was made many years ago by a company in Italy...Fontanini...and it's worth several thousand dollars. All the gold paint you see on it is real gold..."

"Wow…" Hank was suitably impressed, oohing and aahing as he pointed out details. "That sheep looks so fuzzy...and the angel's wings looks like it's made from real feathers…"

After they'd spent an hour enjoying the display, it was time to leave. As they passed the museum's gift shop, Hank squealed with delight, pointing at the display window. "Look, Mommy…"

The shop was offering boxed Nativity sets for sale. The large figures had been carved from Israeli olive wood with a child's hands in mind. All the characters were there...Mary and Joseph and the sleeping baby, shepherds, and wise men, along with a cow, 3 camels, 2 sheep, and a donkey.

Brennan smiled as she looked over his shoulder. The price was satisfactory, and she knew Booth would be pleased that she was allowing Hank to learn more about his church's teachings concerning the birth of his god. Winking at her son, Brennan nodded resolutely. "Why don't we get one? You can set it up in your room if you'd like."

Hank's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Yay! I'd like that a lot! Thanks, Mommy!"

*/*/*/*/*/*

Brennan glanced in the rear view mirror, happy to see that Hank was enjoying his new toy. Mary and Joseph had already walked across his lap several times as they tried to find a place to stay for the night. The addition of childish dialogue between the couple was making the tale quite entertaining, as were the loud noises coming from the farm animals as they welcomed the couple to their stable.

As she listened to him play, she thought once again about the myth of Jesus' birth. She steadfastly believed there was nothing divine about the man in question, and yet his coming had been greatly anticipated by many who saw him as the savior of his people.

She chuckled softly as she turned her car into their neighborhood. In some ways, a similar situation had occurred when Christine was born. Even with Booth's penchant for giving imaginary heavenly beings credit for perfectly normal occurrences, she had to admit to herself that, at the time, she had been somewhat awestruck at how the circumstances of Christine's birth had seemed to align perfectly for them. Of course, as the events unfolded, everyone had wanted to help...the people at the inn where her daughter had been born had called an ambulance and offered other kinds of assistance after Christine's arrival.

_Maybe that's why the story of Christ's birth is so universal...almost everyone is happy when a child is born...and everyone wants to help the child's parents...it's human nature to care for our young…part of our genetic imperative..._

In the end, all things considered, it seemed harmless enough for Hank to enjoy his new Nativity set. Someday he'd realize that there was no such thing as a virgin birth, but for now...she'd let him be happy.

*/*/*/*/*/*

Booth gave his wife a kiss as he and Christine entered the kitchen. "Hey, Bones...did you and Hank have a good time at the museum today?"

"Yes. I enjoyed it, and I think Hank had a good time as well. At first he was annoyed about not being allowed to go skating with you, but he seemed to get over his disappointment quickly. He seemed to be quite fascinated with the wide variety of Nativity sets that are on display...there are over 200 to see, and he kept pointing out their differences. He actually is quite adept at discerning detail."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not surprised to hear how much he likes those things." Booth snagged an apple from the basket on the counter and sat down. "The display at St. Vincent's is large, you know? I mean, St. Joseph is about as tall as Hank, so when the kids stop to look at it, it's kind of like being in the middle of the story."

"He asked several questions about the Christmas myth, Booth, and I tried to answer them accurately, but I'm not certain my answers were in line with your Church's teaching."

_Great...just great. I bet Sister Helen is gonna have a lot of clean up work to do when it comes to teaching Hank's Sunday school class… _Clearing his throat, Booth smiled. "I'm sure it was fine, Bones. The basic Christmas story is pretty easy to understand."

"True, but he is still quite confused about Joseph's familial relationship to Jesus…"

Their conversation was interrupted when Hank came rushing into the kitchen. "Daddy, come quick! I wanna show you what Mommy got me today!"

"Okay, buddy...just a minute." Rising from the stool, Booth put the leftover parts of his apple in the composter and wiped his hands on his jeans. "Alright...let's go see it."

Father and son walked into the bedroom, and Brennan followed closely behind. Gesturing broadly, the little boy directed their attention to a low table. "Mommy got me a Nativity set like they have at church, Daddy…"

"Um...wow, Hank…" Booth glanced at his wife, raising an eyebrow at her. "I see what you mean about the questions, Bones. This is...well...interesting…"

Hank had built the Holy Family a small shed out of brightly colored lego bricks, and had decorated it with plastic palm trees and brightly colored flowers. Mary, Joseph, and the Baby were safely ensconced inside, seemingly happy with their accommodations. In addition to the shepherds and the wise men who were normally present, there were lego people of every description: pirates, ninjas, astronauts, construction workers, and even a superhero or two. Three of Christine's dollhouse family members were in attendance, as well as Hank's favorite remote controlled robot.

Guarding the perimeter of the stable were a set of Paw Patrol dogs, 4 teenage mutant ninja turtles, a red fire truck with a hook and ladder and a full complement of firefighters, and a police car. Thomas the Tank engine stood at the ready nearby in case he was needed.

There was also a large herd of creatures surrounding the stable. All of the farm animals that had come with the original set were there, along with the camels, but Hank had added a small tiger, a toy giraffe, a fluffy lion, a monkey wearing a hat and vest, a school of toy fish, several plastic dinosaurs, his favorite cuddly puppy toy, his Mickey Mouse doll, and one of Christine's small stuffed ponies, which was sporting rainbow striped wings and a unicorn's horn.

Hank was quite proud of himself as he explained of the arrangement of the scene to his father, who was trying very hard not to laugh out loud.

"See, Daddy? All of these people came to see the baby...all the people who worked in Bethlehem came to the stable, so the man who ran the inn called the police and the fire department to help keep everyone safe."

"And the Paw Patrol, too? That's great…" Booth hid his smile behind his hand, pretending to rub his chin. "How did all these animals get there? I mean, it looks like some of them came from far away."

Hank shrugged as he fixed the monkey's hat. "Well, if Noah was able to get all the animals together for the ride on the ark, then I guess the animals could all get together to see Baby Jesus, right?"

"Hank…," Brennan began. "You know there weren't any dinosaurs on the ark...the ark wasn't big enough…and anyway, dinosaurs and people didn't live at the same time..."

Booth quietly reached out to touch her arm, giving her a wink and a sly smile. "I guess you're right about the animals, Hank...maybe they could all get there if they wanted." Booth pulled up a chair and sat down in front of the table. "So does this Nativity scene look like something you saw at the Jeffersonian?"

"No...but Mommy said artists can use their 'magination 'cause nobody really knows what it really looked like when Baby Jesus was born."

Nodding in agreement, Booth shrugged. "That's true. I mean, who knows? Maybe dinosaurs did show up in Bethlehem, right?" Hearing his wife's exasperated sigh, he chuckled. "I tell you what, though...I think Mary and Joseph would be glad to have all that help with the crowd control." As he looked over the scene, Booth paused. "Where's the angel?"

Hank pointed to an object hanging from the overhead light fixture. "Up there."

"How did you…? Never mind...I don't think I want to know." Turning to Brennan, Booth grinned broadly. "I think we'd better take a picture of this Nativity scene, don't you, Bones? It's a real work of art…by a very 'maginative artist."

She puffed out a sigh as she took her phone from her pocket. "I suppose so." Snapping the photo, she showed it to Booth, who nodded his approval.

"That's beautiful. You know what, Hank? I think you've done a great job with showing the true meaning of Christmas...that everybody should be happy that Jesus came to us." Hugging his son, he sighed. "I'm so proud of you…"

"Thanks, Daddy." Hank handed his father a dinosaur. "Do you want to play Nativity with me?"

Booth laughed happily. "Sure...I'd love to, buddy. That sounds like fun. So tell me the story again, okay? What happens with Mary and Joseph? Why are they in Bethlehem, anyway?"

"Well, you see, Daddy…they had to go be counted..."

Leaving the two of them to play, Brennan smiled as she walked back to the kitchen. She might not believe the Nativity myth herself, but if it brought people together like that, it was a wonderful story indeed.

_He came down_

_To Earth from Heaven_

_who is God and Lord of all._

_And His shelter was a stable,_

_And His cradle was a stall._

_With the poor and meek and lowly,_

_Lived on Earth our Savior holy._

* * *

_**In case you're not familiar with this hymn, it's a popular carol in the UK called Once in Royal David's City. You can easily find it on Youtube.**_


	6. Mittens for Christmas

_**A/N: thank you for the kind reviews. They are appreciated.**_

_**This chapter was inspired by a real story. The details have been tweaked to fit the holiday.**_

* * *

_Jolly Old St. Nicholas,_

_Lean your ear this way._

_Don't you tell a single soul_

_What I'm going to say._

_Christmas Eve will soon be here._

_Now, you dear old man,_

_I ask you what you'll bring to me._

_Tell me if you can._

_*/*/*/*/*/*/*_

"Oh, come on, Bones. All little kids want to see Santa Claus." Slightly annoyed, Booth narrowed his eyes at Brennan as they stood in line to see the local mall's version of the jolly old elf. "It's not gonna hurt anything…our daughter isn't gonna be traumatized by talking to him."

Brennan grimaced slightly as she looked down at their young daughter. Christine seemed to be a bit overwhelmed with all of the noise as she clung anxiously to her mother's hand. "I don't know, Booth. It's always struck me as odd that children would want to tell things to someone they don't know…even if it's just what they want for Christmas..."

Thankfully, Booth caught himself before he said something he might regret. _Of course she'd think that way...she's feeling uneasy...things are probably being stirred up inside by some memories of her time in foster care. _"Look, Bones...it's a Christmas tradition, okay? St. Nicholas was a real historic figure. He was a bishop in Myra, and he did good things for a lot of people."

"I know, but Christine seems uncomfortable with the idea.," Brennan protested. "I don't want her to be afraid."

"There's no reason to be afraid. It's perfectly safe. You know I wouldn't do anything to deliberately scare Christine. Parker talked to Santa when he was small, and he turned out okay, right? Christine will be fine...I promise." He reached down to pat his daughter's head. "You don't mind talking to Santa, do you, Sweetheart?"

"I guess not." The little girl gave him an uncertain shrug. "But Mommy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers…"

"But he isn't a stranger...he's Santa Claus!" Seeing his wife arch a disapproving eyebrow at him, Booth paused slightly, uneasy as he remembered the case they'd worked around Christmas several years ago, when a professional Santa Claus had been murdered by a part time impersonator. "Listen, Christine, Mommy is right about that 'no talking to a stranger' thing, but me and Mommy will be standing right here, okay? You can talk to Santa Claus safely because we're around in case you need us. And anyway, it won't take very long. All you have to do is tell him what you want for Christmas. Easy peasy."

Christine was confused. "Why doesn't he already know? I thought you said Santa was always watching to see if I've been good. If he's watching me, doesn't he already know what I want?"

Scratching the back of his neck, Booth exhaled slowly. He knew Christine was just as logical as her mother, and it often presented a challenge, but after a few seconds, he came up with what he hoped was a plausible reason. "Well, sometimes kids change their minds, and he wants to make sure he's got it right, okay? Come on...five minutes, okay?"

After thinking things over, the little girl nodded. "Okay."

After waiting in line for a few more minutes, it was Christine's turn to talk to Santa Claus. The gentleman smoothed his red jacket, chuckling softly as she gazed at him cautiously. "Hello, my dear. Have you been a good girl this year?"

She nodded vigorously. "Uh huh! Daddy said I was his best girl!"

"I see." Santa smiled as she fidgeted with her sweater. "So what do you want for Christmas this year? A doll? Maybe a game?"

"Maybe." Christine had finally relaxed, beaming happily at the friendly old man, who was encouraging her to continue with her Christmas wish list. "I think what I'd really like is a kitten...like the one on my _Curious Little Kitten Gets Lost _book. She needs to have black and gray stripes with white chest and four white feet…"

"I see. So not just any kitten will do.," Santa asked in a serious tone. "A tabby...and all four feet have to be white? Hmm...I'll see what I can do. Well, here you go, honey...here's a candy cane. Have a Merry Christmas. I'll see you soon…"

"Okay. Thank you." The child hopped down from Santa's lap and ran to join her parents. "Did you hear me, Daddy? I asked Santa Claus to bring me a kitten!"

"Yeah...I heard." He groaned softly as they left the mall and walked out to the car. "I heard…"

*/*/*/*/*/*

"There is no way we're getting Christine a kitten for Christmas, Bones.," Booth grumbled as Brennan joined him in the living room after tucking their daughter safely into bed. "I hate cats…I detest them…"

"Well, I'm afraid this problem is of your own doing, Booth. Remember what you told Christine? If she was good, Santa would bring her what she wanted for Christmas." Brennan gave him a sly smile as she patted his knee. "That means we may be getting a cat. Besides, it might be good for her to have a pet."

"A goldfish, maybe...or even a dog...but no cats." Booth was adamant. "I do not want to have a cat around. I can't stand them...they're smelly and they shed everywhere...but I also don't want to tell her that's why we're not getting one…then she'll be mad at me instead of Santa Claus."

"Perhaps you can explain that it wasn't practical for Santa to carry a kitten on his trip around the world delivering toys.," Brennan said with a laugh.

"Yeah, or maybe I can tell her that he couldn't bring animals across state lines. I'm sure that would work…NOT." Shaking his head ruefully, Booth sighed. "Maybe after Christmas we can pick out a puppy at the animal shelter…"

"Dogs require much more time and maintenance than cats do, so getting a puppy may not be feasible with our work schedule, not to mention that dogs are not normally stripped like tabby cats." Brennan giggled at his scowl. "However, I think I have a solution. I've been looking at toys online, and I've found something interesting." She reached for her tablet and showed him a picture. "These are called 'Foundlings'. They are battery operated toy animals that children can 'adopt'. This one is a gray striped cat. The description says it purrs and meows…almost like a real kitten."

At first Booth was unconvinced, but he eventually conceded that the toy might be a good compromise. "I guess that would work. It wouldn't be the same as having a real cat, but it might make her happy…"

"She's only five, Booth. I'm not certain she actually wants a real cat, and I think this will be satisfactory. She can pretend it's like the curious kitten in her book."

"Okay...let's get her that." He slumped on the couch with a sad sigh. "Why do I still feel like the bad guy? I don't want Christine to be disappointed, but...Jesus, I hate cats..."

"I know." Brennan gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're a wonderful father, Booth, and she's lucky to have you. Christine will have a lovely Christmas, even without a real kitten. She'll have plenty of gifts to open, and she'll be very happy."

"Alright." Booth turned to Brennan with a shy smile. "Thanks for helping me out with my little problem, Bones. You're so smart...that's why I love you…"

"I know." She laughed as he tickled her ribs. "Let's go to bed...I want to help you out in another way."

He chuckled as he stood up and followed her to their room. "That sounds like an excellent idea…"

Oooooooooo

Christmas morning had arrived, and wrapping paper was strewn across the living room floor after everyone had opened their gifts. Christine had been very pleased with everything, including her toy cat, but after opening her presents, she looked under the tree again. Clearly disappointed, she plopped down on the sofa between her parents.

"Santa Claus forgot my kitten!"

"Now, Christine...," Brennan said, brushing her daughter's hair out of her eyes. "...don't be greedy. You have several very nice gifts from Santa as well as from Daddy and me." Seeing Christine's quivering lip, she continued. "It really wouldn't be much fun for a kitten if she had to ride around all night with Santa Claus, would it?"

Surprised that Brennan had taken that direction for an explanation, Booth gave her a soft smile as he hugged his little girl. "Sweetheart, there's always next year...and maybe we can get a dog someday…"

"But my book has a cat in it, not a dog, Daddy!"

"Well, that's true, I guess." Booth decided it might be a good time to change the subject. "Let's get things cleaned up, and then I'll make us all some pancakes. How's that sound?"

Christine nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Thirty minutes later, the family was ready to eat breakfast, with Christine's toy cat sitting on the table next to her plate, meowing loudly.

"Maybe we can turn the sound down on that kitty.," Booth murmured to his wife as she sat down next to him. "It's gonna drive me crazy…"

"So it seems you don't even like artificial cats, Booth. You are a difficult man to please.," she whispered.

He smirked as he whispered back. "You did a good job of pleasing me last night…"

"Behave yourself!" Brennan pretended to glare at him. "We've finally managed to convince Christine that the toy is a good substitute...don't ruin it!"

"Meow. Meow. Meow." The plaintive whine was becoming more annoying and finally Booth had reached his breaking point. "Christine, please turn off the sound on your kitty while we're eating…"

"That's not my toy cat, Daddy. I already turned it off."

"Meow." The family paused as they heard scratching at the patio door. "Mee-oww."

Booth looked at Brennan in annoyed surprise. "You didn't...no way…"

"Mommy! Daddy! Look!" Christine opened the patio door and a small black and gray kitten quickly ran in. "Santa brought me my kitten after all!"

"Bones...please tell me you didn't get our daughter a cat…"

"I have nothing to do with this." She couldn't help but laugh at his annoyed sputtering. "Perhaps this is some of that Christmas magic you're always talking about."

Christine was enraptured with their little visitor. "Look...she has a white chest and four white feet. I'm gonna call her Mittens 'cause it looks like she's wearing them, see?"

"Christine, don't get attached to that cat...we can't keep her." Booth pulled out his phone and hit speed dial. "This must be Aubrey's doing…you wait 'til I talk to him..."

"But Daddy…" Tears welled up in Christine's eyes. "You told me Santa would bring me a kitten if I was good, and he did, see? Why can't I keep her? She's so cute...she looks just like the kitten in my book. She's just zactly what I wanted…please, Daddy?"

The kitten looked up at Booth, blinking her green eyes at him before yawning widely and curling up on Christine's lap to take a nap.

"Please, Daddy? Listen, she's purring so loud...she must like me a lot. We can't just give her away, Daddy..."

"Booth...we can't find Mittens a good home on Christmas Day." Brennan spoke in a soothing tone as she rubbed his shoulders. "Let's see how today goes, and then we can decide what to do about the kitten tomorrow."

Booth knew he'd been beaten fair and square, and anyway, Aubrey wasn't answering his phone at the moment, so there was nobody to vent his frustration on. "Just for today, okay? And then we figure out where the cat came from and we'll take her back where she belongs."

Sniffling softly, Christine stroked the kitten's soft fur. "But she's so sweet, Daddy. She's got such a cute little pink nose...and long black whiskers. Santa Claus did a good job of picking her out for me. I don't want to take her back."

"We'll discuss it later, Sweetheart." Booth sighed softly as he ate a bite of cold pancakes. "Right now, we need to eat breakfast."

Oooooooooo

They'd had a houseful of company for Christmas dinner, and Mittens the kitten had been a frequent topic of conversation. The placid little animal had been passed from person to person, with each one cooing over her in delight, declaring her to be the sweetest cat ever.

Aubrey had steadfastly denied turning the kitten loose on Booth, stating that he'd never do that to a poor defenseless little creature, and Booth finally had to admit that he believed his friend had nothing to do with the kitten showing up on their doorstep. Aubrey had also gained points in his favor by bringing over a litter box and a bag of cat food for the kitten, so at least they wouldn't have to worry about that expense at the moment.

So the question of where Mittens had come from remained unresolved, and regardless of how outlandish it might be, Santa Claus appeared to be the best suspect. However, it didn't matter who had gifted them with the cat. Booth had been firm when he'd talked to his wife later that evening. They would find a new home for the kitten, and that was that.

Deciding it would be best not to tell Christine until the next morning, Brennan had once again read _Curious Little Kitten _to her daughter, who acted out the action from the pages with her make believe cat. When the story was over, Christine snuggled happily under the covers with her new toy, ready for sweet dreams.

As she turned off the lights and left the room, it occurred to Brennan that she hadn't seen Mittens for awhile. Concerned that maybe the kitten had been frightened by all the noise of the party, she began to search the house for her.

It didn't take long to find the little cat. Booth was snoring softly in his recliner with a tiny purring ball of black and gray striped fur curled up on his chest. Blinking her green eyes at Brennan, the kitten kneaded his shirt tenderly before snuggling against him again.

Smiling to herself, Brennan picked up some of the plates left behind by her guests and carried it into the kitchen. As she rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, she realized that they were no closer to finding out how the kitten had made her way to their home, but maybe it didn't matter. Perhaps Booth was right...some questions might be better left unanswered.

After hearing Booth snort a bit as he awoke, Brennan moved so she could see his reaction to the tiny animal sitting on his chest. She giggled softly as she watched her husband furtively scratch the cat's ears and then gently stroke her fur. The kitten stretched and yawned before curling up again, much to Booth's apparent delight.

"Are you a good kitty? Yes, you are...," he murmured. "But let's keep that between me and you, okay?"

Brennan sighed in satisfaction as she continued to load the dishwasher, relieved that she wouldn't have to explain to her daughter why they had to return her Christmas gift.

It seemed that Mittens the kitten had found herself a new home for Christmas.

* * *

**_Mittens was a real cat who showed up on our doorstep one day. She looked just like the cat in my children's favorite book, The Curious Little Kitten Gets Lost, right down to her four white feet. She was the best cat...even my husband liked her, and he, like Booth, 'hated' cats. _**

**_Thanks for indulging me and my sappy cat tail...more chapters coming soon._**


	7. Midwinter and Mushrooms

**_This chapter is set in season 5, after Dwarf in the Dirt and right before Goop on the Girl. One of my favorite minor characters will make an appearance, too._**

**_It is not my intention to offend anyone, but please remember Brennan's point of view on religion..._**

* * *

In the bleak mid-winter

Frosty wind made moan;

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow,

Snow on snow,

In the bleak mid-winter

Long ago.

*/*/*/*/*/*

Temperance Brennan checked her reflection in the mirror once more, satisfied with what she saw. Her emerald green sweater gently hugged her curves and her black skirt was the perfect length...right above the knee. She stepped into her shoes and then checked the time. 7 o'clock...Booth would be arriving any minute to pick her up.

Adjusting her earrings, she scolded herself for being vain. After all, the two of them were merely attending a Christmas party at Gordon-Gordon's restaurant. It wasn't like it was a state banquet or the Jeffersonian Winter Ball. This was a much more casual affair. It wasn't even a dinner party as far as she could tell...more like wine and hors d'oeuvres for a few close friends.

For some reason, however, she was feeling unsettled at the prospect of seeing Gordon-Gordon again. While she liked the psychologist personally, he occasionally made her uncomfortable with his probing questions or pointed comments. She was certain that it was nothing deliberate on his part...he was a kind, compassionate man, and Booth considered him to be a close friend. It was more the idea that the man had spent most of his life working in the pseudoscience of psychology, and there had been several instances when she wondered if he was studying her as if she was some sort of interesting specimen.

When she'd mentioned her misgivings to Booth at lunch the day before, he had laughed at the idea, of course. "He's not being weird, Bones. That's just the way Gordon-Gordon is, okay? He wants to know what makes us tick. He observes people the same way you observe a skeleton, or the way I observe someone when I'm interrogating them. I think you just don't trust him because you don't like psychology."

However, because of her misgivings, she'd been hesitant to attend the party, particularly since she normally didn't celebrate Christmas, but Booth had cheated when he'd asked her to accompany him, deploying a classic display of 'sad puppy eyes' when she had initially tried to say she didn't want to go. Unfortunately, she'd recently found herself becoming more susceptible to that type of weapon, much to her annoyance. _I really do need to exhibit more willpower when it comes to Booth…_

Since she'd been unable to say 'no' immediately, he'd taken that for a yes and now she was stuck...not that she minded too terribly. Booth was not only a handsome man, he was good company as well, and Gordon-Gordon was an excellent chef. All in all, it promised to be a fairly enjoyable evening.

Hearing a familiar knock on her apartment door, her musings were interrupted and she hurried to open it for Booth.

"Hey, Bones. Sorry I'm late." A grin spread across his face as he checked out his partner. "Wow...you look great! The color of that sweater is perfect on you..."

She smiled shyly as she picked up her coat. "Thank you. I was uncertain about what to wear."

"Well, it appears that you've chosen well." Booth knew he was staring at his partner but it was as if he couldn't look away. Bones was stunning in her green sweater, and it definitely showcased her assets. "Um...are you ready?"

She grabbed her purse and nodded. "Let's go."

"Yeah...let's go." As he closed the door behind them, he sighed. Maybe someday their Christmases together would be different, but for now, spending time with her at a friend's party would have to do.

Oooooooooo

Gordon-Gordon's restaurant, _La Couple,_ had been decorated for the holiday with a tasteful, understated elegance. The buffet table was covered with a silver damask tablecloth, with large red poinsettias on either end, flanking an impressive array of finger foods, canapes, and savory tidbits, all laid out attractively on ornate silver trays. Gleaming white china, brightly polished flatware, and crystal stemware stood at the ready for the guests as they helped themselves to the sumptuous feast. Instrumental music playing in the background lent a pleasing ambiance as the party goers mingled, laughing and talking to each other as they sat at tables in the large, well appointed dining room.

Dr. Wyatt was making the rounds, moving from table to table and greeting his friends heartily. His grin grew wider as he walked over to shake Booth's hand. "Merry Christmas, my friend. Thank you for coming...and it's good to see you as well, Dr. Brennan."

"Thank you." She smiled happily as she pointed at her plate. "The mushrooms are excellent. I appreciate your including vegetarian choices on the menu. The combination of porcini and the various chopped vegetables is amazing, and proof that being a vegetarian doesn't mean one has to pass up good food."

"What?" Humming quietly, he looked at her with embarrassment before quickly apologizing. "Oh...my apologies. I'm afraid I'm not being a very attentive host. This is my favorite Christmas carol..._In the Bleak Mid-Winter..._it's so very English, you know...quite the cliche', I suppose, but I don't care…"

Brennan smiled as she listened to the song. "Yes, the tune is quite lovely...Holst wrote it, I believe." Sipping her wine she shrugged as she cut into another mushroom. "However, I've never understood the need to mention 'midwinter' in a Christmas carol. After all, the actual date of Christ's birth, if he lived at all, isn't recorded anywhere, and there is evidence that if the details in the account of his birth are correct, it's more likely that he was born in the early Spring. The date of December 25 was arbitrarily set by church officials to coincide with pagan solstice festivals as a way to encourage the citizens of Rome to accept Christianity."

Booth was horrified at Brennan's explanation. "What do you mean, 'if He lived'? Of course Jesus lived! He was the Son of God, not a figment of someone's imagination.," he said angrily. "Anyway, Bones...it's just a song, okay? It's not meant to be a history lesson. I mean, if Gordon-Gordon likes it, you should leave it at that instead of dissecting it…and besides, it doesn't really matter what the exact date of Jesus' birth is...all I need to know is that He was born about 2000 years ago, and that's good enough for me...December 25 is as good a day as any."

"But the song mentions snow, Booth...and even though Bethlehem is in the hill country of Israel, snowfall in any measurable amount is highly unusual…It's a ridiculous assumption to make. Snow...really? It makes no sense."

"Who cares, Bones? That's not the point, okay? It's more about how people felt about His birth…"

"But it makes the song confusing, Booth…it's supposed to be about the birth of your god, not a weather report…"

"The rest of the song talks about Jesus…not that you've listened to the whole thing, since you're so worried about one stupid line mentioning snow..."

"As a scientist, I have to be detail oriented. Words have meaning, Booth…they should be chosen with care."

Gordon-Gordon watched in amusement as the couple continued to bicker back and forth. He'd often wondered how a tenderhearted, romantic man such as Agent Booth had managed to fall in love with an absolute realist such as Dr. Brennan, but that was a puzzle for another day. After a few minutes, he held up his hands in surrender as he cleared his throat.

"Yes, arguing as usual. Some things never change." He laughed at their sheepish expressions. "I believe Dr. Brennan does have a point, Booth...a lot of Christmas carols from England are somewhat...well, 'ridiculous' may be too harsh a word. Perhaps fanciful is more accurate." Gordon-Gordon smiled as he took a glass of wine from a passing server's tray. "However, that doesn't keep me from loving the songs tremendously, much in the same way one would love an eccentric relative. The songs have always been that way...full of what appears to be nonsensical imagery...you know, 3 ships sailing into an English port carrying Mary and the Baby...the Holly and Ivy and such...but I still accept them as a part of my Christmas celebration…and as part of my traditions. In fact, I particularly like the tradition of the Wassail...hot buttered rum being passed around as carolers sing..."

He paused as he saw Brennan's confusion. "Come, come, Dr. Brennan...you're an author. Surely you've used metaphors or imagery in your books...such as the way the antagonist uses actual red tape to get his point across to his victims in one of your murder mysteries."

She disagreed vehemently. "My books are based on science, Dr. Wyatt. I try to avoid using too much imagery…it distracts from the plot and makes the story unclear for the reader."

"Ah, yes...straight to the point, aren't we? However, Christina Rossetti, the woman who wrote the words to _Bleak Midwinter _was a poet...her writing style is quite different than yours ..."

Booth tilted his head to one side as he thought over Dr. Wyatt's statement. "So you're saying that she wasn't really talking about snow and cold...that maybe there was something else going on...I guess that makes sense…"

"How does that make sense, Booth? Why not just say what she means?" Brennan shook her head as she selected another mushroom from her plate. "Why make things so difficult to understand?"

"Please allow me to assist your understanding, Dr. Brennan." Gordon-Gordon met her serious gaze with a kind smile. "Miss Rossetti evidently suffered from some sort of severe depression. Perhaps the 'bleak midwinter' she is referring to is one of those periods of time when her days seemed dark and filled with despair."

"Yeah, I get that." Booth slowly ran his fingers around the rim of his glass. "After my brain tumor surgery, there were some days when I felt like...like nothing was ever going to improve...like I'd never get better. I might've given up completely…" He reached over to take Brennan's hand. "...except I had Bones to help me…she kept me going…"

"Exactly." Nodding in agreement, Gordon-Gordon turned to Brennan. "Miss Rossetti needed something to hope for, and she achieved that when she chose to fully embraced her religious beliefs. That's why she says that she'll give Him her heart."

"I'm not sure I understand…" Brennan began. "So the poem is a veiled reference to a religious epiphany and not necessarily the birth of Christ?"

"Perhaps...although the feelings she is expressing in the poem are not strictly limited to religious belief." Handing his empty glass to another server, the chef spoke with quiet intensity. "Here's something I learned back when I was a very young psychologist: all of us will experience bleak midwinters from time to time, Dr. Brennan...even if the air isn't currently cold or it's not snowing outside, and when we do experience them, we need something to hope for...something to help us get through the bad times...something to help us believe that Spring will eventually come again. We need to escape the bitter coldness that takes over our hearts and our minds when we're alone too long…or when we feel like giving up. All of us need the warmth of love and friendship...the promise that things will be better...and that, Dr. Brennan, is, I believe, the point of the song." After bowing slightly toward Brennan, he shook Booth's hand "Now, if you'll both excuse me, I must see to my other guests…good night."

Booth and Brennan sat quietly for a few minutes, both of them ruminating over what their friend had said. Finally Booth cleared his throat.

"I can relate to what he said, Bones. I mean, I didn't have long periods of depression after my surgery, but you know...when I was trying to get back to work...trying to recertify as a marksman...it really meant a lot to me to know that you were on my side. I knew you wouldn't let me give up, and I appreciate that so much." Suddenly feeling bashful, he stared at his plate. "Anyway…"

"Booth...I'm your partner...and your friend. I'll always be on your side. You know that."

Their eyes met for a few seconds, each of them wanting to say something meaningful, but unsure of what or how to say it. As the silence grew awkward, Booth cleared his throat.

"So...um...good mushrooms, huh? Let me try one…"

""Booth, if you want some mushrooms, go get your own…"

"But they're all the way over there. C'mon, Bones...just a bite...I'll trade you for some of my glazed carrots…

"That's hardly an even trade…"

As he watched the couple from across the room, Gordon-Gordon couldn't help but smile to himself, knowing that Booth and Brennan would spend many bleak midwinters and beautiful springs together, giving each other hope when things were bad and helping each other rejoice when things were good.

They belonged together, and it didn't take a Wise Man...or a psychologist...to figure that out. The problem was getting them to see it for themselves.

The chef laughed softly as he filled a plate with more mushrooms to take to their table. It was just like he'd explained to Booth. The situation required patience and trust...but he wasn't a patient man...

...and maybe a few more mushrooms might serve to move things along in the right direction.

It couldn't hurt to try.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am? —

If I were a Shepherd

I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man

I would do my part, —

Yet what I can I give Him, —

Give my heart.

* * *

_**A/N: If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. **_

_**I still have some more chapters in mind, and I'll continue to publish them after Christmas Day. Have a blessed Christmas. Laura.**_


	8. Heavenly Peace

_**A/N: Here's the next chapter of my Christmas story. I have left some of the details vague on purpose, thinking that this chapter could apply to Booth during many periods of time in his life.**_

_**I know that in canon Booth had confided in Aldo about the faith crisis he had concerning his job as a sniper and his faith. It's been my experience that these crises ebb and flow over time, as expressed in this chapter.**_

_**I also know that some of you may be shocked at the preacher's language, but I think it'd be normal for him to adopt the speech patterns of the men he works with. Just my opinion...**_

_**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it.**_

* * *

Groaning softly, Booth reached over to slap at his alarm. He stared into the darkness as he tried to shake off his slumber. It was 5:30 in the morning. Getting up at that hour sucked, but he had things to do.

As he sat up in his narrow cot, he rubbed his eyes. He'd been dreaming when his alarm went off...and a cruel dream it had been. He'd been with Pops and Nana in their Philly rowhouse, celebrating Christmas just like they always had...singing carols around the piano...eating homemade lasagna and Italian cream cake for Christmas Eve dinner...playing pinochle with Jared and Pops before going to Midnight Mass at Sacred Heart Church...it had all seemed so real…

But, of course, his family was thousands of miles away from where he was currently stationed. He was on his own this Christmas...stuck in the middle of nowhere, waiting for his orders. Just another day for a sniper, even if it was Christmas, right? All he could do was sit around the barracks until the brass decided which threat he needed to eliminate today. _It sucks, being good at that job..._

Except maybe, since it was a holiday, he'd be off the hook. Maybe he'd be able to salvage a little bit of Christmas spirit...and a little bit of his soul in the process. _I hope to God they leave me alone today..._

Glancing at the clock, he sighed softly as he got dressed. Because of the holiday, Reveille was at 8 AM this morning, but he still needed to hurry if he wanted to make it to Mass before the work day began. Christmas being a day of Holy Obligation, he was going to be in church for the early Mass just like his Pops and Nana had taught him. It didn't matter what was going on in his personal life at the time, or that there were wars going on all over the world...God always came first.

After pulling on his jacket, he jammed his hat on his head and jogged over to the beat up quonset hut that served as the base chapel. It was a dark, unwelcoming place, with rows of pews facing one end of the creaking metal building. Because it was supposed to be used by all of the faith communities on the base, there were no religious icons or stained glass...nothing to show that it was serving as a church that morning.

Booth quietly stepped inside the space, blessing himself as he found a place on one of the rows in the back. He glanced up to the front of the large room, where an altar table had been set up. A large gold cross had been placed in the middle of it, with lighted candles on either side. A creche was displayed on the floor in front of the table...a silent reminder of the importance of the day.

At 6:15, the chaplain rang a set of sanctus bells to call the assembly to order. Extending his hands in blessing, he intoned the familiar greeting. "The Lord be with you…"

"...and also with you.," the congregation responded. Booth nodded as he looked around the room. It appeared that there were over a hundred soldiers there this morning. _They all need this as much as I do…we all need the Lord's help and protection…every single one of us…_

Booth's musings were interrupted as the chaplain began to speak. Something didn't seem right…for some reason the normal Order of Mass wasn't being followed…

"Good morning, fellas." The gray haired man cleared his throat as he tugged at the collar of his fatigue shirt. "So, um...you may as well know right off the bat that I'm not an actual Catholic priest. The Catholic chaplain, Father Sloan, had a pretty bad gall bladder attack last night, and he's in the infirmary...he's out of commission until further notice, so I'm the emergency pinch hitter. I'm the Rev. James Martin, but you all can call me Brother Jimmy...that's what folks call me back home in Guthrie, Oklahoma." He chuckled nervously. "I know you all may be worried about the Eucharist this morning, but Father Sloan says there's some Reserved Sacrament on hand, and that some of you can help pass it out when the time comes. It's not going to be a normal service by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess we'll make do, and I'm sure the Lord will be okay with it just this once, given the circumstances."

The crowd of soldiers murmured softly among themselves as the chaplain walked over to the front of the altar table. "You know how the Army works, fellas. We always have to make do with what we've got, right? That's why you get to put up with my old, ornery ass this morning. But you know what? This whole making do shit? That's the way it is in the Bible, too. Think about it." He paused as he looked out over the crowd. "David made due with 3 rocks and a slingshot, and he took down a giant. Gideon made due with 300 soldiers against the Midianites, beating the hell out of them."

The chaplain held up a copy of the Bible. "And here in Luke's Gospel...in the story about the birth of Jesus, which we remember today, there was no room in the inn." He smiled at his congregation. "Now those of us that are married know that the Blessed Virgin Mary may have given her earthly husband an earful about not planning ahead when it came to getting a room for the weekend…"

The soldiers exchanged knowing glances at his assessment, some of them laughing quietly as Rev. Martin continued. "But it didn't make any difference. They didn't have a place to stay in Bethlehem until an innkeeper felt sorry for them, letting them stay out in the stable with the farm animals. Probably not the best place in the world, but better than being out in the middle of the street, right? So Mary and Joseph made do, and it was a good enough place for our Lord to be born."

Coughing softly, the pastor nodded as he spoke. "You know, fellas, there's a lot of times when we have to make do out here in the part of the world we deal with, and sometimes, it's real unpleasant, right? And sometimes, when that happens...when we have to fight, all the while making do with what we've got...we might wonder if God even remembers who the hell we are...and if He does remember us, we may wonder if we're worth it, right? I mean, does He really have a plan for our lives, or is it all random shit? Here we are, just flailing around aimlessly, hoping to make it one more day here in the armpit of the world...hoping to survive, right? Hoping we can make do, and everything will turn out okay for one more day..."

The chaplain shook his head as he ran his hand through his short gray hair. "So are we good enough to serve His purposes, or is He just making do with what He's got? And how can He forgive us if we're such rotten bastards? After all...we know how we're supposed to treat the guys we're fighting against...we're supposed to 'love our enemies', not shoot them...but too bad, right? We're all He's got...so He has to use us to make this world a better place...and we sure as hell don't get it right, do we? We fuck it up like crazy..."

Booth was stunned as he listened to the preacher. How did this chaplain know what he'd been thinking about over the last couple of months? How could he, a sniper...whose job it was to kill people by taking them out from afar...how could he ever get right with God when he had all that blood on his hands…the stains on his soul…

Sighing softly, Rev. Martin finally smiled. "Well, that's the Good News, fellas. See, we may never know what purpose our lives have in this world...but we know that, no matter how bad things seem at the time, the Lord can surely make do with those of us who have faith in Him. He loves us...He forgives us. See, he doesn't think of us as someone He has to make do with...He considers all of us to be His precious children, no matter how bad we've fucked things up. We don't have to be perfect...we just have to be willing to try our best, and then let Him do the rest. So remember this one thing, fellas...there's nothing we can do that will make Him give up on us, okay? He will always love us."

He glanced at his watch. "I know I've talked a bit longer than you fellas are used to, and you've got to get to work soon, but before we pass out the Sacraments, I want to tell you one more story about making do. See, about 200 years ago, there was this young priest in Austria who'd written some lyrics for a Christmas song about the Nativity of our Lord. The problem was that the organ in his church had been destroyed by flooding, so there was some question about how they'd have music for the Christmas Eve service, but an organist from a neighboring village composed some simple guitar music to go with the words, and guess what? Everyone loved it. I think maybe it was a classic case of the Lord making do…" Clearing his throat softly, he shrugged. "So maybe, if you know it, you can sing it with me…"

He began to sing softly. "_Silent night...Holy night…all is calm...all is bright..."_

One by one, the soldiers in the congregation joined in, their voices rough with emotion as the music rang from the rafters of the chapel.

"_Sleep in Heavenly Peace...sleep in Heavenly Peace…"_

As he sat in his pew, Booth furtively wiped away the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. Maybe one day, if things went right in his life, he'd be able to experience that Heavenly Peace.

Until then, he'd have to make do with the knowledge that God was looking out for all of them...that even a sniper like him, with multiple kills, could be forgiven...could still be loved by the Lord, just the way he was...and the Heavenly peace that knowledge had bestowed on him was the best Christmas gift he could ever receive.


	9. The Living Nativity

**_A/N: In this chapter, Christine is about 7 and Hank is about 2. _**

**_If you're unfamiliar with this carol, the animals tell how they've helped the newborn Jesus. It's too long to include in its entirety but you can find all the lyrics online. It's really very sweet._**

* * *

_Jesus our brother, strong and good_

_Was humbly born in a stable rude_

_And the friendly beasts around him stood_

_Jesus our brother, strong and good._

_ From The Friendly Beasts (an old French/German carol)_

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"Come on, kids...get your coats on...chop chop." Booth stood at the door impatiently late one Saturday afternoon in December. "We need to get going…"

"Okay, Daddy…" Christine beamed at her father as he helped her with her coat. "I'm so 'cited about seeing the animals!"

Balancing Hank on her hip, Brennan joined her family at the door. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Booth? It might be chilly outside..."

"Yeah, it'll be great. I mean, we're bringing their jackets, right?" He took his own jacket from the hall tree. "St. Vincent's always has a living nativity during the Christmas season…lots of people go...it's a tradition..."

Her brows knit as she zipped Hank's jacket. "I know, but do they treat the animals humanely? I'd think it'd be stressful for them to have all sorts of people tramping through their homes…"

Booth sighed softly as he tried to quell his frustration. "This isn't a zoo, okay, Bones? It's on a parishioner's farm...Floyd Galloway's his name. You've met him, remember? Tall, red hair…he lives in town but his family's property is out past Gaithersburg." Seeing his wife's blank expression, he shook his head. "Never mind...anyway, he lets the congregation come through to see the animals, and some people play Mary and Joseph. It's fun, Bones...our kids don't often get to see farm animals up close like that."

"I suppose that's true." After thinking things over, Brennan nodded as she pulled on her jacket. "It will be good for Christine and Hank to see how things are done on a working farm…"

"Great. Let's go." Booth smiled as he helped his kids climb into the SUV. "But remember, Bones...this is sponsored by St. Vincent's, so maybe you should keep some of your opinions about the Christmas story to yourself while we're there…"

She rolled her eyes at him in irritation. "I know how to behave in public, Booth…"

"Of course you do." He winked at her as he reached over to pat her knee. "I'm glad you decided to come with us."

"Family excursions are important for bonding, Booth...they help us maintain our cultural mores." She smiled as he groaned softly "And besides...I like spending time with you and our kids."

"That's more like it. For what it's worth, I like spending time with you, too. This should be a lot of fun."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

After a 45 minute drive, the family arrived at Galloway Farms at dusk. Several other families from the parish had already arrived, enjoying hot chocolate and spiced cider as they laughed and talked with their fellow parishioners.

"Hey, Floyd!," Booth called out, waving at an auburn haired man. "Come meet my wife!"

Waving back, the man smiled as he jogged over. "I'm glad you could make it, Booth! I think your kiddos are gonna love it." He extended his hand to Brennan. "You must be Temperance. Nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Thank you." She smiled as she looked over the grounds. "This is a lovely place. I can see why you'd want to keep this place in your family."

"Yeah, we love it out here. I've got a couple who live on the farm full time to take care of the livestock, and we come out as often as we can. My kids love having all the animals...and my wife and me, we figured that other kids would like them, too, you know?" Floyd grinned as he shook Christine's hand. "Would you like to go on the tour, Sweetheart?"

The little girl's head bobbed up and down enthusiastically. "Yes, please! I want to go see the animals!"

"Right this way…" Taking her hand, he led her over to one end of the large barn, with her parents and little brother following close behind. "So tell me the story, Christine...what happened to the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph?"

"Well, they had to go to Bethlehem 'cause Joseph was part of David's family…"

"That's right, and probably Mary had to ride on a donkey like Pedro here." Floyd gave Christine and Hank some sugar cubes. "The donkey that carried Mary was probably bigger than this little guy. Pedro's still a baby...and he loves sweets. See...just put one in the middle of your hand and hold it out…"

Christine giggled happily as the donkey's long tongue picked up the cube, but Hank wasn't sure that he wanted to help feed Pedro. "Don' wanna…"

"Look, Hank…it's okay..." Holding Hank up so he could see better, Booth reached out to scratch the donkey's long ears. "See? He's nice...he won't hurt you…"

About that time Pedro brayed loudly, startling everyone. "Heeee-haawww…heee-hawww…"

"Don' wanna, Daddy…mine..." Hank pulled his hand away and popped the sugar cube into his mouth.

"Um...okay." Booth cringed slightly as he felt his wife's glare. "What's next, Floyd?"

"Let's ask Christine…"

"Well, they couldn't stay at the inn 'cause it was full, but the innkeeper said they could stay in the stable…"

"And here we are." Floyd led the little family into a large open space that was divided into a series of dimly lit stalls. "The stable in Bethlehem was probably much smaller than this…"

Christine tugged on Floyd's hand. "I was born in a stable…"

"Actually, Christine, that's not correct…" Brennan smiled at her daughter before gently correcting her. "It was more like a garden shed…"

"But Daddy said there was a horse and lotsa hay...look at all the hay in here…"

"Um, never mind, Christine." Booth cleared his throat to interrupt their discussion. "Let's go look at the cows…"

Two large brown cows were standing in one of the stalls, chewing their cuds as the visitors walked over to see them. "See, Christine?," he said, pointing to a feeding trough. "There's a manger…"

"Moo cow, Daddy!," Hank squealed as he squirmed to get down. "Wanna see a cow. Mooooo."

"Just a minute…" Setting the child down, Booth took his hand and led him over to get a better look at the cattle. "See? Nice cows…"

"Wat dat?" Hank pointed back between the legs of one of the cows. "Wat dat, Daddy?"

"Um...that's where milk comes from…let's go on, okay? There's more to see."

Floyd nodded, putting his finger to his lips as they walked to another stall. "Shhh...I think the baby may be sleeping…"

A young woman dressed in blue and white robes rocked a tiny baby, who was sleeping peacefully as he sucked his thumb. A young man in rough linen and a carpenter's apron stood nearby, protecting his wife and child from nosy onlookers.

"The Hursts…," Floyd whispered. "Their baby was born about six weeks ago. They've been taking turns with the Hathaways, the Salazars, and the Villas, acting as Mary and Joseph with Jesus..."

"You're fortunate to have so many babies in your parish.," Brennan commented. "And it's wonderful that the families are willing to participate. You know, being around animals is quite beneficial for youngsters...that's why I'm glad that Christine wasn't born in a hospital. Life on a farm can strengthen a child's immune system."

"Yeah, anyway…" Booth nodded happily as he looked around the barn. "Well, I guess we've seen everything…"

"No...not everything." Floyd pointed to the open barn doors. "Watch…"

The farmer flipped a switch and holographic angels filled the sky, dancing to Christmas carols that played over a speaker. _Gloria in excelsis Deo..,_

As if on cue, four or five shepherds came striding up to the barn, herding their small flock of sheep and goats, followed by a pair of barking sheepdogs. Soon the stable was filled with noise as the shepherds came to get a look at the newborn king.

The baby, having been startled from his nap, began to cry lustily as the sheep and goats milled around, trying to figure out which way to go while the dogs nipped at their heels.

"Mommy...look at that little gray lamb!," Christine cooed. "And the baby goats...they're so cute."

"Baaa….baa…" Hank reached for the sheep, trying to get free from his father's grasp. Finally giving in, Booth put the little boy down, keeping an eye on him as he tried to tackle one of the fluffy animals.

"Whoa there, Hank…" He redirected his son away from a large ram. "Let's go look at the sheepdogs instead…"

Laughing as the child patted the dog's head, Booth reached out to shake Floyd's hand. "This is so cool...it's like being there when it happened, you know? But where are the three kings?"

"Come now, Booth.," Brennan interrupted. "Surely you realize that the Magi didn't arrive until Jesus was quite a bit older…He was at least two years old..."

"That can't be right, Bones...they're always a part of a Nativity set...why would they be in the set if they weren't there until later?"

"It must've been later, Booth...based on what it says in the Bible…"

Booth and Brennan bickered for a few minutes more, until Booth realized something was wrong. "Where's Hank?" He walked over to Christine, who was talking to Floyd as she played with one of the lambs. "Have you seen your brother?"

"No, Daddy…"

After a few frantic seconds, they heard him laughing happily in another stall. Rushing to find him, they were relieved to see that he was safe, but disconcerted at his appearance. He was sitting in a pile of cattle manure, throwing straw up in the air and giggling as it drifted down. Covered with poop and wheat chaff, he grinned happily. "I have fun, Daddy…"

Floyd bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud. "Looks like your boy was really been exposed to farm life…he should have a dandy immune system..."

"Yeah...I see that." Rolling his eyes, Booth picked up the filthy youngster. "I guess a little dirt won't hurt him too bad. C'mon, Buddy...let's go get these pants off…"

Brennan turned to Floyd with a big smile. "Thank you for the tour...it was a lovely depiction of the Christmas myth…"

"Er...thanks?" Unsure of what else to say, the farmer shrugged. "Be sure to come back next year…"

"We will." Brennan patted her daughter's shoulder. "Come along, Christine. What do you need to tell our host before we leave?"

"Good night, Mr. Galloway. Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Sweetheart." He smiled as they walked away, glad that they'd had such a good time.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Christine and Hank both fell asleep in their car seats on the way home from the farm. After turning to check on them, Brennan smiled at Booth. "The children had a wonderful time at the Living Nativity, Booth. I'm glad we went to see it."

"Yeah, me too, even if Hank did get filthy. I guess that's just part of the deal with being on a farm, you know?"

"It was rather funny…," Brennan giggled.

"You're right...it was."

They rode in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Booth spoke again. "You know, when kids do stuff like that...you know, get dirty at a church function, or act silly at a Christmas pageant, I think about what it was like when Jesus was born. I mean, everyone thinks it was so peaceful and calm in the stable, but there were animals everywhere, and people were constantly tramping in and out...it was chaotic…messy...noisy...smelly..."

"Like after Christine was born…"

"Yeah, but maybe on a much bigger scale. Our daughter is real special, but Jesus is the Son of God, and everyone wanted to see him. Poor Mary must've been exhausted after a while with all the noise and dirt everywhere…" He paused, picturing the scene in his mind. "Anyway, I believe we're all God's children, you know? And we make a mess of things everyday...and I wonder sometimes if God ever gets tired of the noise and the mess, but then I remember He loves us no matter what...no matter how messy we are." Smiling sheepishly at his wife, he shrugged. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get so sappy…"

"It's not sappy." Brennan smiled as she patted his knee. "Although I don't believe in a divine being, I know you find great comfort in your religion, and I would never want to make you feel uncomfortable about that. I accept that as part of who you are, because I love you, Booth."

Feeling a warm rush of emotion, he sighed deeply. "I love you, too, Bones. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Booth."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

_Thus every beast by some good spell_

_In the stable dark was glad to tell_

_Of the gift he gave Emmanuel,_

_The gift he gave Emmanuel._

* * *

**_Thanks for reading. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura_**


	10. Christmas Visitors

_**A/N: This chapter is a little different. I've written it about some other characters in our favorite show. The song I've chosen is called Love Came Down at Christmas, from a poem by Christina Rossetti (again). If you're not familiar with it you can find it on Youtube.**_

_**Aziz am means 'my dear' and aziz-e delam means Sweetheart.**_

_**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Thanks. Laura.**_

* * *

_Love came down at Christmas,_

_Love all lovely, Love Divine,_

_Love was born at Christmas,_

_Star and Angels gave the sign._

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"Your parents are coming to visit us over Christmas vacation?" Camille Saroyan was stunned as she sat down to eat breakfast. "Arastoo! We've just moved into our new house, and we haven't had time to unpack everything. There are boxes stacked waist high in the closets as we speak. The boys are still getting adjusted to the place and a new school, and Michelle is in the process of moving into her own apartment. I'm not sure this is a good time for us to have company…"

"Cam…" He reached over to stroke her hand gently. "...relax, okay? My mom and dad aren't staying with us while they're in town, and even if they were, they wouldn't care about what the house looks like. They just want to meet their grandchildren, okay?" He sighed softly, realizing his wife was still unconvinced. "Look...they felt bad that they had to miss our wedding, with my father being too ill to travel. I know Christmas is a busy time…but I couldn't very well tell them not to come..."

"Yes, it is a busy time, here and at work. I'm constantly under pressure to get things done." Feeling annoyed, she knew she was whining, but it seemed she couldn't control herself. "And besides, they don't even celebrate Christmas..."

Arastoo couldn't help but smile slyly at her statement as he ran his thumb gently over her knuckles. "Well, I don't actually celebrate Christmas either, but you still love me…at least that's what you said in bed last night, remember? I held you in my arms and you kissed me, and then..."

"Okay, stop! You know what I mean! Why are they coming now?" Laughing softly, Cam shook her head, trying not to give in to her husband's flirting. "You're right...I do love you, and your parents, too. It's just that I hoped we could have Christmas Day all to ourselves, you know? You, me...the boys, and Michelle...opening gifts that morning, and having a nice meal...relaxing...maybe playing games or watching some sappy holiday movie together that afternoon. I wanted it to be a time when we could bond as a family without all the hustle and bustle. In fact, I'd even planned on skipping Booth's annual Christmas dinner this year so we could spend some quality time as a family..."

"I get that, Cam...and I agree with you. We need time to bond with the boys, but my parents want to bond with their grandkids, too, and they figured this would be a good time, since the boys are on a break from school.." He hesitated for a few seconds as he thought things through. "They'll be in town for a few days around the holidays, so maybe we can compromise. Let's have Christmas Day be for you, me, and the kids, and then maybe my parents can come over on the day after Christmas...you know, stay for dinner and that sort of thing, and we can take it from there if they want to spend more time with us. Will that be okay?"

She sipped her coffee as she considered his suggestion. "I suppose that would work...if you help with the cooking. We can have some kabab torsh with adas polow and dolme and then some sholeh zard for dessert…"

He sighed softly. "Or maybe just some baked chicken and mashed potatoes...you know, something easy. We don't need to have a big feast. They're not going to care what they have for dinner, Cam. All they really want to see you and the kids. Don't stress yourself out…"

Narrowing her eyes at him, she chuckled. "You're just trying to get out of cooking, aren't you?"

"Maybe." Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it gently. "We could even order take out, if you want. You know you don't have to worry about making a good impression, right? My mom already thinks you can walk on water." Seeing Cam's bashful smile, Arastoo continued. "Here's the thing, okay? My mom and dad have looked forward to being grandparents for a long time, you know? And then it looked like they'd never have any grandchildren, with my brother's poor health and me being single for so long. They were disappointed, but they never harassed me about it." He winked at his wife. "You know my mom...she's not shy about expressing her disapproval…"

"Yes, I remember that night at the restaurant when I first met your parents.," Cam joked. "She certainly set you straight."

"And that was mild, believe me." He whistled softly. "Anyway, I knew she wanted grandchildren, but I was in no hurry to settle down...until I met you, that is…"

Cam arched an eyebrow at her husband. "Smart man, working that comment in there…"

Arastoo smirked at her as he continued. "And so now my parents are very excited...they're telling all their friends that now they have four grandchildren…"

Puzzled, Cam's brow furrowed in thought. "You mean they consider Michelle to be their granddaughter?"

"Well, of course.," Arastoo said with a shrug. "She's your adopted daughter, so why not?"

"I don't know...I guess I just didn't realize…they'd be so...generous." Cam smiled at Arastoo with happy tears in her eyes. "Oh, alright...I give in. I'd be delighted to have your parents join us...whenever they want to come."

A wide grin spread across Arastoo's handsome face. "Thanks, aziz-e delam…I know it's an inconvenience..."

"It's fine." Rising from her chair, Cam picked up her plate and then bent over to give him a kiss. "I love you, aziz am."

"I love you, too."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

It was almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon of December 26, and both Cam and Arastoo were rushing around, trying to make sure their house was presentable before his parents arrived. Finally, Cam nodded in satisfaction as she glanced around the family room.

"I think we're ready for company."

"Yeah, me, too." Arastoo smoothed his shirt and brushed some lint from his pants. "Where are the boys?"

"Upstairs getting cleaned up from lunch...and Michelle said she'd be here about 2:15…"

Just then the doorbell rang. Willing herself to be calm, Cam walked with Arastoo to greet their visitors.

"Hey, Dad! Looking good!" After shaking his father's hand, Arastoo gave his mother a kiss. "We're so glad you're here...oh, let me take your coats…"

Azita Vaziri smiled radiantly as she embraced her daughter-in-law. "You look lovely, Cam...just as beautiful as in your wedding picture...and what a beautiful home! I hope you've had time to unpack your wedding album…"

"Now, Mama…," her husband, Armin admonished. "There will be plenty of time for that." He reached out to take Cam's hand. "I'm so sorry we could not make it to the wedding. Alas, my pneumonia was too severe…"

"We were disappointed, but we understood." Cam turned to Azita. "We had a video made of the ceremony...and a copy made for you to keep…"

The older woman laughed quietly. "Thank you. I knew my son was marrying an intelligent, thoughtful woman."

"You're right, Mom. Cam's the best." Arastoo pointed pointed toward the family room. "Why don't you make yourselves at home? Cam has made some tea…" Walking to the foot of the stairs, he called out. "Boys? I need you downstairs…"

"Okay…"

The two younger boys came running down the steps with Jordan slouching sullenly behind them. There was an awkward minute or two as introductions were made, and then Michelle arrived.

"Oh, Cam…," Azita said as she shook hands with her granddaughter. "What a gorgeous young woman. In my country, Michelle, you would be called khoshgelam, which means 'my beautiful'. It loses something in translation, but you get the idea…" Turning to her husband, Mrs. Vaziri smiled happily. "And look at our handsome grandsons, Baba! By the way, we have gifts for all of you…"

"Mom...that's not necessary…they all got plenty of stuff for Christmas."

"Hush, Arastoo...I am their grandmother and I can do as I please when it comes to presents…"

"NO! You are not my grandmother! You'll never be my grandmother…" He pointed at Armin. "...and you'll never be my grandfather." Jordan was seething as he jumped up from the sofa. "I don't want to have anything to do with either of you…just leave me alone. I don't want your stupid gifts..."

"Jordan, that's enough!," Arastoo growled. "Upstairs, now."

"Fine!" The young man raced up the steps and loudly slammed his bedroom door.

"I'm so sorry for his outburst, Azita." Cam was mortified over her son's behavior. "I don't know what got into him…he's normally much more pleasant..."

"Sometimes young men are upset and they themselves don't understand why.." Wearing a benign smile, she shrugged. "Let us not speak of that right now." Mrs. Vaziri gazed expectantly at her husband. "Baba...the gifts…"

"Oh...of course, Mama." He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small blue velvet box. "For our lovely granddaughter…"

"Thank you." Michelle gasped in surprise as she opened the box. "It's so pretty…" She held up the necklace for her mother to see. It was a small gold heart pendant suspended from a fine chain and set with a tiny diamond. Smiling happily, she fastened it around her neck. "I don't know what to say…"

"Then say nothing, and wear it with our love." Azita nudged her husband with her elbow. "Armin…"

"Just a minute." Smiling at the boys, he pulled out some slim square boxes. "Your father said you boys received Nintendo swatches as holiday gifts…"

Arastoo cleared his throat. "Um...Switches, Dad."

"Switches, swatches...whatever. The point is…" Armin handed boxes to each of the boys. "We have purchased games for you…"

"Oh boy!" Tyler clapped his hands in excitement. "That's great, isn't it, Isaiah?" He tore the paper from his box. "Look...Donkey Kong…"

"And I got Mario Kart. Thanks...um…" Isaiah glanced at his parents nervously. "What should I call them?"

"You may call us whatever you like.," Azita said happily. "You may call us babayi and mamayi, or grandmother and grandfather…or Azita Joon and Armin Joon..."

"What about Grandma and Grandpa?, Tyler asked.

"I think that would be wonderful! Come here." Armin opened his arms wide to give the boys a hug. "Your grandmother and I are so very glad to meet you…" Smiling happily, the older man turned to their parents. "We have put some money aside for their college funds as well, and we wish to assist Michelle with her moving expenses…"

Arastoo was stern, trying to put his foot down against such extravagance. "Dad...that's too much money…"

"Nonsense. Your mother and I have been waiting for many years to have grandchildren. We have some time to make up for when it comes to presents…" Armin chuckled at his son's irritation. "It's done already, son...cashiers' checks for the boys, and we will send Michelle money through Venmo. So no more arguments."

As she saw how determined Armin was, Cam put her hand on Arastoo's arm, ever so slightly shaking her head at him. "Boys.," Cam said quietly. "Your grandparents have given you some wonderful gifts. What do you say?"

"Thank you!"

Isaiah turned to Arastoo. "Dad, can we try these games out for a few minutes?"

"You can play for twenty minutes." Grinning at his father, Arastoo laughed. "I tell you what...why don't we show Grandpa how a Switch works."

As the men and boys played with the games, Azita took a few minutes to become more acquainted with Michelle before rising from the sofa. "I'm going to talk to Jordan."

"Azita…you don't need to worry about him." Cam shook her head. "He gets this way from time to time. It'll blow over."

"I know, but I want to tell him something. I'll be back soon."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

After climbing to the top of the stairs, Azita walked down the hall until she came to a closed door. Tapping lightly, she slowly opened it and spoke to Jordan, who was sprawled out on his bed. "May I talk to you? I only need five minutes."

Glaring at her, Jordan rolled his eyes as he turned to face the wall. "Knock yourself out."

"Thank you." She dragged a chair over to the edge of the bed and sat down. "You remember them, don't you?"

Jordan turned back to face her. "Who?"

"Your grandparents...at least one of them."

"Yeah." The young man stared at the ceiling. "I remember being little and going to my granny's house for Christmas dinner...before she got so sick. She had a tiny pink house...the kitchen was so small there was only room for her and mama on a good day…it had all these old fashioned appliances...and it would get so hot if she was cooking during the day in the summer. She was such a good cook...she used to hum church songs...I can still hear her in my mind." He sniffled softly. "My other grandparents had died when I was a baby, I guess. I never knew them. And then, when I was about 8 or 9, Granny died, too. My brothers didn't really have the chance to get to know her, which is sad, since she was so nice...and then a few years after that, my mom died...and it seemed like...like..."

"Like there was nobody left to remember your grandmother. I know." Seeing his surprise, Azita nodded. "I was a small child when my mother died, so I lived with my mamayi...my grandmother...for many years...until she died. Then, a few years later...my father remarried, and suddenly I had a new mama and new grandparents, and it seemed like everyone expected me to forget my _real _mother and my _real _grandmother...as if she'd never actually been a part of my life."

"Yeah...I get that." Interested in the woman's story, Jordan sat up on the bed. "It's like everyone thinks you should just move on...like the people who died never existed in the first place…It's bad enough that they're gone forever, but to never remember them? I can't do that...If I forget Mama or Grandma, there is nobody else to keep the memories...and that would mean that they were gone without a trace...as if they'd never actually existed. I've tried to tell my brothers, but they can't remember Grandma…and not much about Mama."

"And that would be so sad...to forget them. I know." She paused a few seconds, silently gathering her thoughts. "I tried to get along with the way things were...but one day...it was my mother's birthday...I said something about wishing to see her again, and my father was most displeased. He was going to punish me, but my new grandmother stopped him. Then she took me aside and said something that changed my life. Do you want to hear it?"

Jordan nodded silently.

"Very well. She said that she knew I was missing my mama and grandmother, and that we could talk about them whenever I wanted, because she knew she couldn't take their place in my heart...but she hoped I'd be able to make room in my heart for her as well. Then we could be friends." Azita sighed heavily. "She didn't replace my mother, but I grew to love her almost as much as my biological grandmother. I had room to carry memories of both of them"

The clock on Jordan's nightstand seemed to tick loudly as they sat in silence. After a few minutes, Azita rose from her chair. "I know I cannot ever replace your mother or your grandmother in your heart, Jordan, and anyway, that's not what I want. Of course you should remember them...you should cherish the good times you had with them." She paused slightly. "All I'm saying is this: if you will allow it, Armin and I would like very much to be your friends. We will take up very little room in your heart, and I promise...because I have been in a similar situation...I will listen to whatever you want to tell me about your mother and your grandmother. Perhaps, if you can't allow me the privilege of being your friend today, because it hurts too much...then maybe someday in the future, if you want, we can talk. Armin and I...we only want to give you love, Jordan. We don't want to destroy your memories. We don't want to take anything away from you."

Turning quickly, she left quietly, leaving Jordan in the darkened room. He lay there for what seemed like an eternity, brushing away tears, embarrassed at how he'd treated his new father's parents earlier that day..

"Mom and Dad took me out of a bad situation, and then I act like an idiot.," he murmured to himself. "I need to make this better…I need to apologize..."

After washing his face and changing his rumpled shirt, Jordan quietly crept down the stairs, hoping he hadn't missed dinner.

He was relieved to see Arastoo showing his grandfather how to use a Switch, while Cam and Michelle showed Azita pictures of Michelle's new apartment. It was an ordinary scene...nothing remarkable...except that all these people wanted to love him, even when he was full of shit.

He wondered how long it would take until he felt comfortable with being a member of a different family than the one he'd known most of his life. Maybe he'd talk to Michelle. She was adopted...maybe she could give him some insight on how to make the transition easier.

He wanted desperately to belong to this wonderful group of people...this family which had been brought together by chance. And while he knew that perhaps he wasn't ready to completely open his heart to them, he was getting closer to that moment when he could trust them to accept him as he was.

"Hey, look…," Tyler called out. "Grumpy ol' Jordan's decided to join us." The boy bit his lip as he caught his mother's glare. "Sorry…"

"No need to be sorry, Tyler." Jordan smiled slightly as he came into the family room and sat down on the couch. "You're right. I've been a grump, but I'm over it now. I want to join all of you...if you don't mind. I mean, I know I've been a jerk…and I'm really sorry...so...you know..."

"Of course, we want you to join us, Jordan." Azita smiled broadly at her grandson. "We always have room in our hearts for another person to love."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

_Love shall be our token,_

_Love be yours and love be mine,_

_Love to God and all men,_

_Love for plea and gift and sign._


	11. Bringing Up Baby

**_A/N: this chapter occurs when little Hank Booth is about 6 months old. The carol I've chosen is one I wasn't familiar with, but it fits the story. If you aren't familiar with it, it's available on Youtube._**

* * *

_"Joseph, Dearest Joseph mine,_

_Help me cradle the Child divine._

_God reward thee and all that's thine,_

_In paradise," so prays the mother Mary._

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

It was a faint noise in the silence of the darkened house, but it was enough to engage Booth's finely honed sniper senses. His eyes flew open as he tried to make sense of what he'd heard. Now fully alert, he listened intently. _There it is again…_

He looked over his shoulder at his wife, grateful that she was still asleep. The four weeks before Christmas were always hectic for the family, but adding a book deadline, a speaking engagement, and a new cold case on top of the normal preparations had made this year's December especially difficult. _She's exhausted...and so am I. But I have to figure out what I just heard. What time is it? _He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. _Two AM? Dammit...now what? _Hearing the noise once more, Booth stealthily rose from his side of the bed. Easing slowly onto his aching feet, he grabbed his robe and quietly moved down the hall.

He stopped to check on Christine, pulling the blankets up around her as she slept, and then closing the door behind him before turning to the room across the hall. Slipping through the door, he tiptoed quietly across the room and peeked into the crib.

"Dada!," Hank squealed happily, extending his arms towards his father. "Dada…"

"What are you doing up, Tiger?," Booth playfully scolded. "You're supposed to be sleeping!" A quick check of his son's diaper made the stalwart FBI agent scrunch up his nose in disgust. "Jesus...Yeah, I get it now. No wonder you woke up. C'mon…let's get you cleaned up."

Taking little Hank over to the changing table, Booth stripped off the baby's sleeper and nasty diaper, talking softly the whole time, much to his son's delight. "How did you get so dirty, little man? There we are...all nice and clean. Okay...a new diaper and some new jammies...maybe the dinosaur ones, alright? That's good. Let's rock for a minute and then go back to bed…that's right...Hank is gonna be good for Dada and go right back to sleep..." Booth sank into the upholstered rocker and hummed softly. After a few minutes, he kissed the top of the baby's head, put him back in the crib and headed back down the hall towards his own bed. _I'm beat...hopefully I can go right back to sleep, too..._

Unfortunately, Hank had other ideas, letting out a loud wail a few minutes later.

"Okay, okay...now what's going on?" Rushing back to the bedroom, Booth scooped up Hank, hoping that the little boy hadn't awakened his mother with his crying. "Hey, buddy...what's the matter? Are you hungry?"

Hank blinked away his tears as he stared up at his father. "Dada…"

"Yeah, I'm Dada, but Dada needs some sleep, little man." He sighed softly as the baby squirmed in his arms. "Okay...I guess you could be hungry. Let's go see if Mommy has left something on reserve in the fridge…I don't want to wake her up, you know..."

He carried Hank into the kitchen, holding him with one arm while opening the refrigerator with the other. "Let's see here...beer...salami...tofu…"

Hank shuddered and made a face as if he was going to cry again.

"That's right, Buddy. Tofu is a definite no-no. I knew you were a smart little guy. Here we go...here's a bottle. Let's warm it up…" Booth set the microwave for 15 seconds. "There we go. A glass of milk for me and a bottle for you. Alright...now, into the recliner…"

As they went into the family room, Hank reached for the blinking lights on the Christmas tree. He bumped one of the tree's branches, causing a bell ornament to ring softly. Laughing at the sound, he took another swipe.

"Okay, that's enough, buddy." Setting his glass and the bottle on a side table, Booth gently covered his son's hand with his own. Yawning widely, he eased into his recliner. "Alright...let's see if you're really hungry…"

Cradling his son gently, Booth offered the bottle to Hank. The baby drank a bit of the milk, all the time watching his father with big brown eyes. Eventually, however, his eyelids grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

Having played this game before...thinking Hank was sound asleep, only to have him wail as soon as he was put into bed, Booth sat in his recliner for awhile, cuddling the baby in his arms. Shifting slightly, Hank nestled against his father and soon he was snoring softly.

It was a magical moment for Booth as he looked down at his peacefully sleeping child. Parker looked very much like his father, and Christine was practically a clone of her mother, but Hank was a pleasant mixture of both his parents. Hank's baby fine auburn hair was almost exactly the same shade as Bones', but the brown eyes and dimpled smile were just like his father's.

"I tell you what, kiddo...you're a lucky little boy. Your mommy is so smart, and she loves you so much. You've got a great older brother and a beautiful sister...and your Dada is gonna make sure that you're always taken care of…"

He paused as he gazed down at his son, once again amazed as he looked upon this perfect little human being he and his wife had created together. He knew he'd felt the same way about Parker and Christine when they were babies, but he was still overwhelmed with love...and with the tremendous sense of responsibility for the correct upbringing of this child. God had entrusted children to him...to Seeley Booth...to be raised correctly so that they could make a difference in the world. It was not a charge to be taken lightly.

And of course, he'd do the best he could...and Bones would be there to help him every step of the way. Together they'd be much better parents to their children than their own parents had ever been to them. He'd made that promise to God...he swore he'd never be like his father…

Sighing softly, his gaze was drawn back to the Christmas tree. It was covered with all kinds of ornaments...shiny stars, snowflakes, bells, and glass balls...along with hockey sticks, tiny microscopes, test tubes holding holly sprigs, and of course, the Philly fanatic. He loved all of them, but he knew, deep down, that his favorite ornament was the one that had a stained glass portrait of the Holy Family. Mary was beautiful, with baby Jesus sitting on her lap, and Joseph was standing behind them, looking...apprehensive?

"Yeah...with good reason.," Booth muttered to himself. "I would've been scared to death…"

"Why are you awake, Booth? Who are you talking to?"

Startled, he jumped a bit, causing Hank to groan softly. Putting his finger to his lips, he whispered to his wife. "Shhh...I just got him to go back to sleep…"

"I didn't hear him on the baby monitor...you know, Booth, you don't have to get up and check on him every time he makes noise. Hank needs to learn to self-soothe and go back to sleep on his own." Brennan gave her husband a kiss as she sat on the arm of the recliner. "That being said, thank you for letting me sleep as you checked on him…"

"Yeah, well, trust me...with the messy diaper he had, he wouldn't have gone back to sleep. I wanted to make a pre-emptive strike, you know? To keep him from making a ruckus." Booth smiled as he rubbed his wife's back. "But I guess I didn't do a very good job. Sorry I woke you up…"

"Oh, you didn't awaken me." She smirked as she moved closer to him. "I woke up and discovered I also needed some soothing, but when I rolled over to embrace you, I found that you weren't next to me. I don't sleep well without you…"

Booth wore a sultry grin as he rose from the recliner being careful not to jostle Hank. "Well, let's put Tiger in his bed and then I'll help you go back to sleep."

"I'd like that very much."

They quietly moved down the hall and gently lay the baby in his crib. Booth rubbed the child's back slightly, making sure that Hank was really asleep. After a minute or two, they left the room and shut the door, both of them hoping to get in a few more hours of sleep themselves.

They climbed into bed, and Brennan lay her head on Booth's broad chest. "You never did tell me what you were talking about…"

"Well...I'm not sure you'd get it." Caressing her gently, he sighed. "I was just thinking about St. Joseph, you know? I mean, the poor guy got a helluva lot more than he bargained for...he finds out the woman he's engaged to is pregnant, but not by him, and he tries to avoid a scandal by divorcing her quietly, but an angel comes to him in a dream and tells him that he needs to stay with Mary, that the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and what to name the baby and then the angel says that the baby will deliver people from their sins. That would freak out anyone, you know? After all, when I think about what a daunting task it is to raise the three kids I have, it seems impossible that I could do it successfully, but he had to raise God's son while He was a child here on Earth, and that seems like it would be a real burden. I'd constantly be second guessing myself...you know, if Jesus got in trouble as a two year old, would Joseph be afraid to correct Him?"

"Yes, that part of the myth definitely sheds light on how hard the situation must've been for the parents of such an exceptional child."

Wanting to avoid an argument at the moment, Booth skimmed over Brennan's use of the word 'myth'. "True. Of course, Joseph had a definite disadvantage…"

Brennan propped herself up on her elbow. "Really? What was it? I don't remember hearing about that…"

Booth smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair. "Simple...he didn't have you to help him. You're such a good mom…"

Brennan giggled as she kissed him. "So you don't think Mary helped Joseph raise Jesus?"

"Oh, I'm sure she did. Mary had to be a pretty tough cookie to put up with all the shit everyone gave her over her pregnancy. She probably had a pretty firm hand on her household. I'm just saying that I feel sorry for Joseph because he didn't have you." Booth kissed Brennan passionately. "I'm so lucky to be married to such a wonderful woman…"

"I see," she purred. "Well, if you keep that up, you'll definitely get lucky very soon." She glanced at the clock. "In fact, if you want to get any sleep, you need to hurry up and soothe me…"

He chuckled as he pulled her closer. "Anything you say, Bones...anything you say…"

* * *

_**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura**_


	12. Aubrey's Mission

**_A/N: Thank you for all the kind words. They help me stay motivated to write this story._**

**_This chapter is loosely based on my favorite Christmas carol. I hope you enjoy it._**

* * *

_Oh, come all ye faithful, _

_Joyful and Triumphant._

_Oh come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem._

_Come and behold Him,_

_Born the King of Angels._

_Oh, come let us adore Him…_

_*/*/*/*/*/*/*/_

James Aubrey sighed softly as he gazed at the District's dreary skies from the bullpen's window. It was late in the day, and a cold rain was pelting down, dampening his spirits as well as the passers-by on the street below.

"Great. Just fucking wonderful. What a way to spend Christmas Eve…in the office by myself." Turning away from the depressing weather, he went back to his desk and sat down. He had paperwork to do...case files to check...maybe even some calls to make. He was a busy man...too busy to watch the rain.

He'd volunteered to cover the office until 6 o'clock that evening so that the rest of the agents he worked with could go home early. He could always call for backup if he needed it, but so far, so good...only one more hour to go before quitting time, and nothing had happened. After work he'd go home and heat up some leftover lasagna and watch an old movie on television...maybe _It's a Wonderful Life_, if he could find it, but if not, he had _Elf_ on DVD. _Who knows? Maybe I'll be crazy and watch both of them tonight...yeah...Merry fucking Christmas to me, right?_

He groaned softly as he moved stacks of papers around, pretending that he was working. He needed something to do to keep his mind off his troubles, but that sort of mindless busy work wasn't going to cut it this time. Rubbing the back of his neck, he sat back in his chair. Maybe transferring to the DC office had been a mistake…maybe he should've moved to the Omaha facility instead. _Nah...I'm too much of a big city guy...I'd go bonkers in Nebraska..._

He got up to walk down the hall to the break room, thinking that maybe a cup of coffee would help him focus. Grabbing a mug, he poured himself a cup of the day old brew and stirred in some sugar before taking a sip. He grimaced at the bitter taste. "Definitely needs some cinnamon.," he muttered to himself. "I guess I'd better bring some to keep here in the office...if I decide to stay…"

He shook his head at that silly thought as he trudged back to his desk. Of course he'd stay...he didn't really have anywhere else to go right now…

The decision to transfer out of the New York City office had been an easy one. Because his father was a convicted felon, Aubrey had long suspected that his fellow agents had merely tolerated him without ever really trusting him. _The sins of the father...visited on the son… _He'd been quietly passed over for a couple of promotions...a passive way of letting him know that it was time for him to move to a different regional office if he wanted to advance in the FBI.

The only reason he'd stayed at the New York office as long as he had was so that he could take care of his mother. She'd been ill for several months before she'd passed away…and now he was completely alone. His father had skipped the country...he had no siblings...no wife...not even a girlfriend to keep him from making the change to the DC office.

If he was honest with himself, he could acknowledge that, for the most part, he was happy with his career move. Even though he'd been in the DC office for a few months, he was still the 'new guy', trying to figure out exactly where he belonged in the scheme of things, but Special Agent Booth seemed to be friendly once one got past the man's hard ass exterior. In fact, Booth had invited Aubrey over for Christmas dinner the next day. He didn't even need to bring a bottle of wine or a casserole...he just had to show up and enjoy the company.

Sighing softly, Aubrey glanced through a case file. As much as he dreaded being alone for Christmas Day, he was even more fearful of being a 'charity case'...being that single guy who got invited to someone's house to spend a holiday because everybody knew he had nowhere else to go. The more he thought about the invitation, the more his resolve grew.

_I'm not going to Booth's for dinner. I don't need anyone's pity._ _I'm a grown man, dammit! _ _Enough of this poor me shit! I can spend the holidays on my own! I don't need anyone to take care of me…_

He was roused from his thoughts by the sound of someone harrumphing to get his attention. "Good. I'm glad you're still here."

Tossing the folder aside, the agent leaned forward in his chair, eyeing his visitor suspiciously. "Good evening, Ms. Julian. Um...what can I do for you on this fine Christmas Eve?"

Pulling up a chair, she sat down and opened her briefcase. "Here." She handed him a large

brown envelope. "I need that delivered tonight."

He tried to smile at the formidable prosecutor, hoping she couldn't sense his fear. "What? Why? I'm working here...I'm not really an errand boy, you know."

She leveled a 'who do you think you're talking to' glare at him. "This is official gov'ment business, not that it's any of your concern, Agent Aubrey." Closing her case, she set it aside. "I did some checkin'. You live over in the Stadium-Armory part of town, right?"

"Yeah...I've got a small apartment over there. I know it's not the best part of town, but the rent's cheap, and there's a mom and pop deli on the corner…"

"I don't need a tour of the area, Agent." Caroline pursed her lips slightly. "You remember hearing about some young thugs trying to rob a soup kitchen over that way? I guess the robbery was about a mile or so from where you stay..."

"A couple of weeks ago? Yeah...Metro thought they were members of a Salvadoran gang and turned it over to the FBI." He shook his head in disgust. "Bastards...the thieves, that is...not Metro."

Nodding, the prosecutor continued her explanation. "Well, those fellas have been picked up and are in jail as we speak. Seems they were freelancing and their head honcho wasn't too happy about them calling attention to the gang like that, so he hasn't come up with their bail."

Slightly confused, Aubrey glanced at the envelope. "I don't see what this has to do with me…"

She rolled her eyes at him, obviously thinking he was a thick headed couillon. "The money those jokers stole has cleared evidence...and I need you return it to its rightful owners."

"It's already cleared? But it was only a few weeks ago…those guys haven't even been to trial yet, have they?" Curious, he looked inside and pulled out several hundred dollar bills. "...and it's cash...why didn't the Justice Department cut a cashier's check as reimbursement?"

"You ask way too many questions, Agent Aubrey. I suppose that's why Booth thinks you're so good at your job." Caroline wore a stern expression as she explained. "The folks who run that mission do good work for the needy people in that neighborhood, especially around the holidays. Folks in my office felt bad because they'd lost so much money and wouldn't get it back for awhile, so we took up a collection. There...satisfied?"

As he counted the money, Aubrey tried to stifle his grin. He knew that most likely there hadn't been any sort of collection in Ms. Julian's office. She was using that story to hide the fact that she'd come up with the money out of her own pocket instead. "So...wow...we've got 5000 dollars in here, right? Should I get a receipt?"

"No...that's not necessary...and you'd better keep my name out of it, if you know what's good for you." She narrowed her eyes at Aubrey as if daring him to ask more questions. "The address is right there. You understand what you need to do? Am I correct in assuming I can trust your discretion in this matter?"

"Um...sure." He paused as he heard her annoyed grunt. "I mean, yes, ma'am. I'll just take this envelope to the soup kitchen and leave before I have to explain anything. No problem." He glanced at his watch. "I'll go right there when I leave here...in fifteen minutes or so."

"Good." She rose to leave. "I appreciate this, Aubrey. I'll see you at Booth's tomorrow...and I'll have some pralines set aside with your name on them."

"Thanks." As he watched her walk toward the elevator, he exhaled slowly. It looked like his 'lasagna dinner with a side of movies' plans for Christmas Eve would have to wait.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

After parking his car, Aubrey looked around cautiously as he made his way down the street to the soup kitchen. He pulled his overcoat closer against the wind and rain, feeling as if he stood out like a sore thumb among the neighborhood's denizens. "Geez," he muttered as his teeth chattered with the cold "...I might as well be wearing a neon sign that says 'I've got money to steal'. What a miserable way to spend Christmas Eve…"

After self consciously patting the jacket pocket where he'd stashed the money, he checked his sidearm. _Yep, still there._ _I'm gonna be okay_. _Five minutes in and out, and then on my way. _This little chore would soon be over and then he could go home to his own little apartment.

The mission was about halfway down the block in an old dilapidated store front. A hand lettered sign hung over the doorway, declaring the place to be "_God's Table"._ The upper panel of the front door was still covered with plywood...evidence of how the thieves had gained entry when they'd held up the place.

Expecting the door to be locked, he knocked loudly before calling out. "Hello? Anyone home?"

It was a minute or two before he heard someone moving around inside. The door swung open and an elderly man appeared. He was covered with bruises, but he wore a beautiful smile. "Sorry...we thought you knew the door was unlocked. Please come in…"

"Why would you leave the door unlocked in this neighborhood? Weren't you robbed just a couple of weeks ago?" Aubrey was aghast. "They beat you, didn't they, sir? You know, it's possible that other punks could do the same thing...you have to be more careful..."

The man shrugged as if he didn't care. "It's dinner time, and all are welcome at God's Table. That's why the door is unlocked...so all who want to eat may enter." He shook Aubrey's hand. "My name is Harold Rose. I run this place with my wife Sally and several assorted volunteers. And yes, one of the young men did hit me several times. He was upset that we didn't have any more money to give him. I tried to explain that we don't keep a lot of cash on hand, but my Spanish is rotten…"

"So you just let anyone in who wants to come in…that's crazy." Aubrey hesitated for a minute before flashing his badge. "See, I'm an FBI agent…Special Agent James Aubrey..."

"Oh...do you want to ask us some more questions?" Sally, Harold's wife had come to see who her husband was talking to. "I thought they'd already arrested those boys." She shook her head sadly. "Harold and I have prayed for them, hoping the Lord will lead them to the right path…"

Exhaling slowly, Aubrey clenched his jaw. Things were getting awkward, and he was in a hurry to complete his errand. "Yes, ma'am...the men were apprehended. What I wanted to say was that, as an FBI agent, I can help you with some security precautions…"

"We're fine." Harold reached out to take his wife's hand. "That's the first time we've ever been robbed. Most people who live around here know that if they need some money we can lend them a little bit here and there...and it always gets paid back." He smiled as he escorted Aubrey the dining room, situated behind the lobby. "In fact, I'm pretty sure it was one of our 'neighbors' who called the cops. Don Nicolo Ramirez…"

"Nicolo Ramirez? The head of the Mala Muertes for this part of town? Oh my God." Aubrey suddenly felt weak in the knees. "How did you get to be friends with him? Is it a 'protection' racket? Has he threatened you?"

Surprised at Aubrey's drastic reaction, Sally shook her head. "No, nothing of the sort. We just offer food to people in need...no matter who they are. We've fed several Hispanic families in the area…maybe some of them are members of his organization..."

"So you've fed the gang members." Aubrey couldn't believe what he was hearing. "They're criminals…murderers..."

As they walked into the dining room, Harold pointed to a large table covered with a tattered vinyl tablecloth. "Agent Aubrey, please sit down, won't you?" After asking Sally to bring them some coffee, the elderly man patiently explained the mission's focus. "Everyone has to eat, right? It doesn't make any difference who you are or what you do...you gotta eat. So our mission is to provide food for anyone who asks us for it. They may not get a lot to eat here, but they get something to take the edge off their hunger. Then, if they want, they can join us for a little devotional after the meal, but that's not a condition of getting fed."

Waving at a young couple with a small child who were sitting nearby, Harold continued. "A lot of kids around here are like those boys who robbed us. They're hungry and they're desperate. If we can keep those kids fed, maybe they won't have to steal, and maybe they'll stay out of jail." He smiled gently. "We operate strictly on donations, and we have volunteers from all over the city come to help us every day...from different churches, as well as synagogues, mosques, Hindu and Buddhist temples and also people who are agnostics or atheists...and all of us have the same goal...to feed people who need it. That's all we do."

Aubrey was confused as he looked around the room. There was a huge variety of patrons having dinner together. Some of them had obviously fallen on hard times...their clothes were threadbare and their shoes were battered with age. On the other hand, there was a woman in a Chanel suit, a man wearing what looked to be an Armani sport coat and some sharply creased khakis, as well as a neatly dressed couple with three small children. All of the patrons were eating family style, laughing and enjoying each other's company as they passed dishes back and forth down the table..

"I don't get it...I mean, it looks like a lot of these people can afford their own meals…" He turned back to Harold. "So anyone can just walk in and have dinner…no questions asked."

"Yes, of course. Some of them can, and do leave donations in exchange for their meal, but it's not required.," Sally said, smiling as she sat down at the table. "You see, there's more than one way to be fed, Agent Aubrey. Food is perhaps the most important way we touch people...but folks need friendship, too...you know, spiritual food. People need to have their souls fed with fellowship so they don't feel so all alone. We feel like we can offer both things here…free food and free friendship, with no strings attached. What could be better than that?"

Aubrey was silent for a minute, watching as people ate dinner with their friends. Was this what he was missing? Was his self pity simply the cry of a lonely man? He wasn't sure...he needed to investigate further.

He blushed slightly as he realized the elderly woman was waiting for him to answer what he'd thought was a rhetorical question. "I...er...I think it sounds great. I'm glad I found out what you do here. By the way…" Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out the envelope. "...someone I know has asked me to deliver a donation to you...kind of a way to make up for the money that was stolen." He grinned as he thought of Ms. Julian's instructions. "She gave me strict orders not to give you her name, and I'm not ashamed to say that I'm afraid to go against her wishes. Anyhow...here."

Harold gasped in shock as he realized how much money was in the envelope. "But this...this is so much more than was stolen! Are you sure your friend knows how much is in here?"

Aubrey shrugged off the question. "Yeah, she knows. She says you do good work here, and it's her way of wishing you a Merry Christmas." He grinned at the couple. "However, given the way you leave the front door unlocked for the diners, I wouldn't leave that envelope out on the counter. No reason to tempt anyone, right?"

"Oh, we won't! Oh, my goodness! So much money...," Sally said breathlessly. "This is wonderful, isn't it, Harold? Think about how much food we can buy...it's just amazing..."

"Yep, Honey, it sure is." Smiling happily Harold slapped Aubrey on the shoulder. "Say, what about some dinner? We've got chicken and noodles tonight. I mean, it's a lot more noodles than chicken, but it'll fill you up…"

"Harold, you know this nice young man must have a wife and family to go home to...we don't want to keep you from your holiday celebrations, Agent Aubrey…"

"Actually, Mrs. Rose, I don't have any family in town." Exhaling slowly, the agent bit his lip, hoping to remain calm. "I'd love to have dinner with you and your friends, if you don't mind…"

"Mind? We'd be so happy!" Sally ran to the kitchen and came back with a large bowl of chicken and noodles. "Come sit over here, Agent Aubrey...let me introduce you to some of our regulars…"

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Dinner was over, and it was time for the optional devotion. A few of the diners had left, and Aubrey decided it was time he headed for home as well.

"Good night, Harold...Mrs. Rose. Thanks for dinner…"

"Agent Aubrey...would you do me a favor?," Sally asked quietly.

"Well...maybe…" Aubrey shifted from one foot to the other. "What can I do for you?"

"Would you please stay for the devotional?" The woman smiled shyly. "I know it's optional, and of course if you're uncomfortable, you don't have to, but…"

"I don't know...I'm not really into church stuff, you know?" The agent paused, gathering his thoughts. "My mom raised me to go to church, but when she passed...well, I guess I just fell out of the habit…and anyway, I'm not sure we go to the same sort of church…"

"I see." Clearly disappointed, Sally nodded. "I understand."

_What's it gonna hurt?_ Aubrey hesitated as he turned to leave. _It's not like I have big plans…_"On second thought, I guess I'll give it a try…"

"Wonderful! Thank you!" Sally patted her husband's arm. "I think we're ready, Harold."

The elderly man cleared his throat. "Good evening, my friends. I'm glad you could be here with my wife and me this evening. Before we have our Scripture reading, I think we should sing a few Christmas carols, okay?

The handful of people present murmured their approval.

"Good. Let's see...how about this one." He began to sing in a quavery voice. "Oh, Come, all ye faithful...Joyful and triumphant…"

One by one the little congregation began to sing. As Aubrey joined in, he looked around the room, moved by what he saw. Faithful people from every walk of life had made this moment possible...the hungry were fed and the souls in pain found rest...and could there possibly be any more joyful people that Harold and Sally Rose? He knew the two of them would triumph over the darkness of the world…that no matter what, this gentle couple would serve their Lord for the rest of their days until they truly beheld Him...

"Oh, come let us adore Him,...Christ the Lord. Amen." Harold nodded as the small group sat down. "Let's talk about Jesus for a little bit…"

The service only lasted 20 minutes or so and then it was time to leave. Waiting until almost everyone else was gone, Aubrey stopped to talk to Harold.

"Listen, I live a few blocks away, so if you want help with security...or anything else...I'd be glad to come by from time to time…"

"I may just take you up on that offer, Agent Aubrey. I'm not worried for myself, but, you know...I gotta think about my Sally…occasionally she's here by herself." Shaking Aubrey's hand again, the old man grinned. "But even if we don't need the help, you don't have to be a stranger, okay? You can come by whenever you want to chat or have a meal." Putting his hand on Aubrey's shoulder, Harold looked the younger man in the eyes "Don't let yourself wallow in loneliness much longer, son. I know you've been grieving for you mom...that you still hurt about some things that have happened in your life...but you don't have to deal with those problems by yourself any more. Get out and be a part of the world again...we need people like you..."

"How did you know…," Aubrey began, but his conversation with Harold was interrupted by Harold being called away to talk to a diner who needed food to take to a sick relative.

It was time to go home...and he was still alone. Stepping out onto the dimly lit street, Aubrey sighed softly. Harold was right...it was time to move on...time to give up his self imposed exile. It was time to be triumphant.

Pulling out his phone as he walked down the street, Aubrey made a call. "Hey, Booth? Yeah, it's me...I just wanted to let you know...I'll be there for Christmas dinner tomorrow...yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing everybody, too. What's that? Oh yeah...Merry Christmas to you, too."

Smiling to himself as he ended the call, he slipped his phone into his pocket and walked down the street to where his car was parked. Christmas was going to turn out well after all.

Stepping out of the shadows across the street, Caroline Julian couldn't help but be pleased with the success of her plan. Harold and Sally had received their money, and Agent Aubrey had received a good dose of Harold and Sally. She knew that young man would be captivated by the couple's cheerful outlook, and she hoped the encounter would help him break free from whatever was keeping him from reaching his full potential.

Humming a favorite Christmas tune, she walked around the corner to where her Gremlin was parked. "Merry Christmas, Agent Aubrey.," she murmured quietly as she drove away. "You deserve it."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Oh, come let us adore Him,

Christ, the Lord.

* * *

**_There is a church in my city which operates a similar type of mission. Anyone can go to receive a free hot breakfast and a sack lunch. It's funded by donations and staffed by trained volunteers._**

**_If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura._**


	13. Old Friends

**_A/N: here's part three of Parker's story. This song is called "Another Year Gone By" by Celine Dion. (no copyright infringement intended.)_**

**_I've tried to make the details accurate but there may be some minor errors. My apologies._**

**_This chapter takes place five years after the chapter called "Going Hone". I hope you enjoy it._**

* * *

_So many twenty-fifths of December_

_Just as many fourth of Julys_

_And we're still holdin' it together_

_It only comes down to you and I._

_*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*_

Sitting in the back of a cab with his friend Kevin, Parker was feeling nervous as he looked out over the brightly lit streets of London. "I still don't think this is a good idea…"

Kevin grinned and rolled his eyes at his friend. "Afraid to talk to a girl, is it? Are you sure you're one of America's finest? Come on, mate...what have you got to lose?"

Exhaling slowly, Parker turned away, trying to ignore Kevin's good natured ribbing as the cab sped on through the city's busy thoroughfares. _Only everything… _

As he watched the scenery go by, his thoughts wandered back to the discussion he'd had with his father over dinner, just a week before…

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

At Bones' insistence, they'd gone for pizza, just him and his dad, so they'd have time to talk privately.

"Well, that's too bad about you and Sherrie, Parker.," Booth said, picking at the label of his beer bottle with his thumb. "You two were together quite a while...almost a year, right?"

"Yeah, it was right at a year...but it's probably for the best. It was time for us to move on." Picking up a slice of pizza, Parker shrugged slightly. "We just wanted different things out of life, I guess…"

"I see." Booth nodded as he studied his son, who didn't seem to be very upset about ending yet another romance. Not getting any further explanation, he made an educated guess. "She wanted to get married…"

"And I didn't. You're right." Staring at the pizza on his plate, Parker sighed sadly. "What is wrong with me, Dad? I mean, Sherrie is so cute...she's a lot of fun to hang out with...she loves me, or at least she used to...but…"

"But that's not enough, is it? Yeah, I've been there...you know, with Hannah, that woman I was seeing before I finally settled down with Bones. You remember her, right?" Taking a sip of his beer, Booth shrugged. "You may not know this, but I asked her to marry me, and she said no...thank God. I'm so glad she turned me down…I mean I was angry at first, but later on..."

Offended, Parker interrupted his father. "So...what are you saying? That someday Sherrie's gonna be glad I rejected her? Thanks a helluva lot, Dad…"

"Maybe someday you'll both be glad…" Booth chuckled softly at his son's scowl. "...but for what it's worth, Parker, I think you made the right call. If you don't feel like you're ready to settle down with someone, then don't do it. Don't get married just because everyone else is doing it, and don't get married just because you don't want to hurt your girlfriend's feelings." He ate a bite of his pizza. "See, I think I wanted to marry Hannah for all the wrong reasons...none of which are important right now. The point is this...I would've been stuck with second best, and I would've ended up regretting it for the rest of my life, wishing I had married Bones instead. That wouldn't have been fair to either me or Hannah, right?"

"Right." Parker fidgeted with his napkin, trying to figure out the best way to ask his question. "So, um...how did you know Bones was the one for you, Dad?"

"Well, I'm tempted to say I just knew, but that's not gonna cut it, is it?'' Seeing Parker's annoyed expression, Booth laughed as he thought over the question. "The problem is that it's so hard to explain, okay? I mean, when I was with your mom, for a while I thought she was the right one, but we were constantly arguing. Now, I know me and Bones bicker a lot, but it was different with Rebecca. We weren't arguing to prove a point...it was because we were unhappy together. Turns out we didn't really like each other very much."

It was Parker's turn to laugh. "Yeah, I get that...Mom says she likes you a lot better now that you're married to Bones."

"Yeah...we just weren't right together...but we both love you, Parker…we've always wanted what's best for you."

"Dad...come on…I know that, okay?"

"Okay…" Booth sighed pensively. "So back to your question. Well, I'd dated lots of girls before I met Bones...including a set of identical twins…"

"Wait...twins? Did they know you were seeing both of them at the same time?" Seeing his father shake his head, Parker was amazed. "Jesus...that was risky…" The young man smirked as he picked up another slice of pizza. "Respect, Dad…"

"Just between me and you...it was risky, but worth every minute I spent with those two girls. Anyway, as I was saying, I'd dated a lot of girls, but when I met Bones…" Booth wore a dreamy smile as he remembered that day. "Well, let's just say I was a goner. And it was more than she was gorgeous, okay? I was also fascinated by her intellect. She was so confident in her abilities, you know? She let me know in no uncertain terms that she'd only work with the best, so I had to step up my game." Picking up his beer bottle, he took a drink. "She challenged me on so many levels...and she gave me a goal to attain. I knew she wouldn't settle for anyone other than the highest rated FBI agent...and I wanted to live up to those standards. I wanted to be that agent...even before I knew anything else about her."

"So she makes you want to be a better man." Parker groaned softly. "Yeah...I used to know someone like that…"

Booth's gut instinct went into high gear as he realized that Parker had someone special in mind. "It took me awhile to figure it out...you know, what I found so fascinating about Bones...but the truth is that wasn't just that she's beautiful...although that's a good thing, believe me."

They both laughed as Booth continued. "It's that she actively engaged my mind...and she still does. She makes me think logically...she makes me pay attention to every detail around me...she helps me learn new things...and she loves me even when I fuck up royally. She stays with me through the bad times...she gives me hope. You're right. She makes me a better man." Grunting in frustration, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Buddy. I know I'm not helping."

"Actually, I know exactly what you mean, Dad." Playing with the cap from his beer bottle, he tried to smile. "I dated a girl like that...a long time ago...and I still think about her a lot. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I've been subconsciously sabotaging my relationships with some of the other girls I've dated. I always seem to compare them to her…and they always seem to come up short..."

"I understand, buddy. There isn't a woman in the world that can hold a candle to Bones." Noticing how unhappy Parker was, Booth paused. "So...you haven't been in touch with this girl lately, have you?"

"Nah...it was five years ago, when I lived in London with Mom. We were a couple for a year and a half, until she got tired of me being so aimless and wishy washy. She had her shit together, and I didn't have any idea what I wanted to do with my life, nor did I care. We argued about it...and she dumped me. That kick in the ass was what woke me up...it's what made me reevaluate my life, and it's what motivated me to get where I am today. Anyway, I'm sure she's moved on with her life by now...she's probably married with kids." Trying to smile, Parker ran his fingers around the rim of his beer bottle. "I was only 18, Dad. There's no way she was the one. Like Mom says, I was too young to be serious about a girl I went to high school with...not old enough to actually...you know...be in love...I guess..."

"Except that you can't seem to forget her, right? It seems like you cared for her a lot." Booth tapped his fingers against the table to get his son's attention. "Listen, you didn't ask for advice, but here's what I think. When you go see your mom next week, you need to find out if this girl is in a relationship with someone, and if she's not, you need to go see her and decide one way or the other how you feel about her, or you'll never be happy with anyone else."

Parker chewed his lip as he thought over his father's words. "Do you really think so?"

"Yeah...I do. Don't waste the opportunity to resolve your feelings, or you'll regret it forever." Booth drained his beer bottle and leaned forward across the table. "Okay, enough of that romance shit. Tell me about the cutter you're assigned to…she's big, huh?"

"154 feet…"

Booth smiled as he sat back in his chair. "Wow...we're so proud of you, you know?"

Picking up another slice of pizza, Parker grinned at his father. "Thanks, Dad…"

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"Sure…'go visit her and see how you feel'. Easier said than done," Parker muttered to himself as Kevin nattered on. He noticed the cab was slowing down as it entered a residential area, and he nudged his friend's arm. "I changed my mind, Kev...I don't want to visit Meredith. Let's go find a pub and have a pint…"

"No way...Alice would kill me." Kevin chuckled softly at Parker's frustration. "Yeah, it's true...I'm afraid of my wife. She says Mere has been moping around lately, since she's coming off a bad break up with some skeevy bloke. Alice says, as Mere's big sister, it's her responsibility to cheer her up, and she thinks you're just the ticket for that.."

"Alice just likes playing matchmaker…," Parker complained. "And who's gonna cheer me up when Meredith slams the door in my face?"

"You didn't seem to mind when Alice set you up with Mere all those years ago. Oi, here we are. Why don't you get out and I'll pay the driver…"

"Okay." Grabbing his hat, Parker got out of the car and slowly walked up to the porch of the old building, trying to figure out how to get out of this predicament, followed closely by Kevin, who pointed at an intercom system by the building's front door.

"I'll ring her." He pushed a button and waited.

"Yes?"

"Mere, it's me, Kev. Alice wanted me to leave a package for you on the stoop…"

"Can't you bring it up? I'm fagged...my shift ran long…I just want a cuppa..."

"Nah, gotta run. It's right here on the stoop. Hurry down and get it so nobody steals it..."

There was a pause. "Oh, okay. Tell Alice next time she needs to bring the packages up herself..."

Slapping Parker on the back, Kevin laughed out loud as he raced down the steps toward the cab. Opening the car's door, he waved. "I'll be going...good luck, mate…"

"What?! Wait...you can't leave me stranded here, Kevin...son of a bitch!" Gesturing angrily as the cab sped away, Parker was marching down the steps when he heard the door unlatch. He was stuck…he wanted to run...he had to go…he didn't want to face Meredith after all these years, but it was like he was rooted to the spot.

"Sir?" A young woman in nurse's scrubs and fuzzy slippers opened the door and peered out onto the steps. "Excuse me, sir...do you see a package out there? If so, could you hand it to me?"

Turning to face her, Parker swallowed hard, hoping his trembling knees would hold him upright. "Um...hey…Meredith..."

Meredith's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my God...Parker? Parker Booth? What...what on Earth are you doing here?"

"I, er...I came to visit my mom for Christmas. She still lives here." He paused, distracted by her dazzling smile. "Anyway, I called Kevin, and he said we should come visit you, but then he ditched me, so here I am…for a visit...if you don't mind, that is."

"That Kevin's such a jokester." She giggled softly. "Sorry...where are my manners? It's too cold to stand outside and talk. Want to come up for a cup of tea?"

"I'd like that…"

He followed her up the narrow stairs to her small flat. She opened the door with a grand gesture and turned on the lights. "After you, sir…wait...Parker, what are you wearing?"

"Oh...it's nothing special." Winking at her, he sat down on the worn sofa and tossed his cover onto a side table. "Nice place…cozy..."

"You mean shabby, don't you?" Pretending to be annoyed, she shook her finger at him. "Don't you play games with me, Parker Booth. Don't forget...my father was a Royal Marine. I know a military uniform when I see it."

"I thought we were gonna have tea. I'm cold from standing out on that stoop all by myself without a coat. I need to warm up." Parker laughed as Meredith planted her feet and crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. _She hasn't changed a bit…_

"Oi! Men! Seriously! All you can think about is your own comfort." Meredith made a big show of being frustrated with him as she ran her hand across her eyes. "You're all alike!"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "No, we're not...some of us are better than others."

"In a pig's eye…," she laughed. After starting the kettle in her tiny kitchenette, she self consciously ran her fingers through her messy black hair before coming to sit next to Parker. "I must look a fright...It was crazy at the hospital today…"

"No worries...you look great! Just as pretty as ever." Suddenly feeling unsure of himself, he cringed, deciding to change the subject. "So you got your nursing degree, huh? Just like you said you would when we were in high school together. I'm impressed." Smiling, he patted her hand. "I knew you'd do it...you've always been able to reach your goals."

"Thank you. I've worked hard to get where I am. I've only been out of school a year, but I'm already the second lead on my shift."

"I imagine so. You always liked being in charge...bossing people around, giving orders." He pretended to flinch as she playfully slapped at his arm. "Ow! Don't hurt me…"

Suddenly she closed her eyes and turned away. "I already did once, didn't I, Parker? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you so badly, you know..."

The kettle whistled just then, announcing that the water was boiling. Embarrassed by her confession, Meredith jumped up and pulled two mugs, a sugar bowl, and a jar of tea from the cabinet and set them on a tray before bringing them over to her guest.

"Here we are...please don't tell my mother I'm using instant tea...I'd never hear the end of it.," she said, handing a mug to Parker.

He sipped it cautiously. "It's good. Thanks."

They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes, each remembering what had happened five years before...the major argument that had led to their breakup.

Finally Parker cleared his throat. "I meant what I said, Meredith...you've always had your head on straight, unlike me." He exhaled slowly. "And you were right...this uniform isn't 'nothing'. That's why I wanted to see you again...so I could show you that I listened to your advice…"

"Oh dear…" She grimaced as she sipped her tea. "What advice was that?"

"When you broke up with me, you said I was aimless...that I was going nowhere fast." She started to say something, but Parker held up his hand to interrupt. "Please...let me finish." Seeing her surprise, he shrugged. "I've rehearsed this speech for five years, Babe...I want to get through it."

"Okay…"

"You were right...I was lazy and foolish. I had no plans for my life and didn't care to make any. I'd let my mom boss me around for years because it was easier than having a backbone and standing up to her. Who knows how I might've ended up if you hadn't handed me my ass that day? I'd probably still have no plans...no goals...no life." He paused, staring into his mug. "You made me realize what a bum I was, Meredith, and it made me angry. At first I was angry at you, but then I realized that the only person I should be angry at was myself. I'd wasted my time at school and I'd taken our relationship for granted. I knew I could probably fix the school issue...but it hurt like hell to lose you..."

She nodded, brushing a tear away. "I hated ending things with you like that, but I was so frustrated with seeing you waste your potential…"

"And rightly so." He gently ran his thumb over the back of her hand as he continued. "Anyway...I was determined to prove you wrong, so I moved back to DC…"

"Yes, I know. I called your house one day, asking for you...just to see how you were...and when your mother told me you were gone to live in the States permanently…it seemed like I cried for days." She sniffled softly. "You left without saying goodbye…"

"I know...that was stupid of me." He set his mug aside and turned to face her. "When I got home, I took a gap year and made sure all my coursework was in order, and then I applied to the University of Maryland and, just for a lark, I applied to the Coast Guard Academy as well, thinking they'd never select me for admission, because they're really picky about who they accept, but somehow I got in...maybe because my stepdad was an officer in the Coast Guard at one time. I don't know, and I guess that's not the point." He smoothed the front of his dark blue shirt. "I graduated this past May. I'm an Ensign in the United States Coast Guard, assigned to a cutter that sails out of Miami…I work in computer navigation."

"Parker, that's wonderful!" Meredith was thrilled at the news. "But I hardly think I had anything to do with your success…"

"You may not think so, but I do...and right now that's what counts." Smirking at her, he held up his mug. "Can I have some more instant tea, please? I promise not to tell your mum."

After retrieving the kettle, she sat next to him again. "So, um...how long are you in town?"

"A few more days. I was able to get family leave for the holidays because my mom's been seriously ill, but she's much better now. I'll fly back to Miami Sunday and be at sea by Wednesday of next week for a six week rotation."

"I see." Meredith shrugged, trying to act innocent as she offered him the sugar bowl. "I'm sure your girlfriend doesn't like it when you're gone so long from home."

"You're right...when I had a girlfriend, she didn't like it." Stirring some sugar into his mug, Parker watched Meredith's expression to see if she'd caught on to what he was saying. "But now nobody cares how long I'm gone…"

"I'm sure that's not true…I know I'd miss you, Parker…" Blushing furiously, she turned away. "I mean, you know...if I was in that position…as...your girlfriend..."

"Meredith…," Parker said softly, moving closer to her. "Do you really think the only reason I came to see you was to brag about my commission in the Coast Guard?"

She averted her eyes, shrugging in embarrassment. "I don't know…"

"Yes, you do. Would you look at me, please?" His heart raced as her beautiful green eyes gazed into his. "I've had so many sleepless nights over the last five years, wishing that things were different between us...and so I was wondering...if you don't mind, that is...maybe we could go out to dinner some evening before I go back home. You know...so we could catch up on what's going on in our lives...talk about the past...that sort of thing. No pressure...no strings...I just want to spend some time with you while I'm here in London."

She was silent, and his heart sank. _Shit...I've blown it big time… _"I understand if you're not comfortable with that, Mere...and I know a beautiful woman like you probably has a man in her life...so...never mind. I was out of line…" He sat the mug on the table and reached for his cover. "I guess I'll be shoving off then…"

She reached out and put her hand on his arm. "No...please don't leave yet. I'm sorry…" She wiped her eyes with a tissue. "It's just that I've wished for this sort of thing so many times over the last five years...I wanted to talk to you again but I wasn't sure how to get in touch with you, and even if I did find you, I wasn't sure how you'd respond…and I knew you probably had another girlfriend..." She giggled softly as she took his hand in hers. "...and now you're right here...on my sofa...and we're actually talking to each other…"

"Just like we used to, right?" Parker sighed happily. "Like we've never been apart…"

"Yes." Meredith smiled shyly. "Like we still belong together." She reached up to caress Parker's cheek. "I'd love to have dinner with you some evening before you go...and while we're eating, maybe we can make plans for your next visit…"

Deciding that it would be extremely uncool to dance with joy around Meredith's small apartment, Parker flashed a Boothy grin. "Okay, then...how about Thursday? You pick the place…"

"The most expensive place in town?," Meredith teased. "Maybe the Ritz-Carlton?"

"Nah…" Rising from the sofa, he picked up his cover. "I'm just a lowly ensign, remember? I'm thinking more like a fish 'n chips stand…"

"You're so silly." Meredith stood up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll see you Thursday...in uniform, if you please…"

"Yes ma'am." Standing sloppily at attention, he gave her a mock salute. "I'll be ship shape...count on it." He embraced her tenderly before he left. "Thursday. Good night."

He closed the apartment door reluctantly and walked downstairs to the street, hoping he could hail a cab. _Maybe I'll call Kevin and tell him to get his ass over here to pick me up…"_

Walking down to the corner to look for a ride, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. He'd be sending an email to his dad as soon as he got back to his mother's house, to say thank you and to let him know that his advice had been right on the money.

Things were going to work out perfectly with Meredith. Parker couldn't explain it, but she was the one.

He just knew it.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Another year has gone by,

And I'm still the one by your side.

After everything that's gone by,

There's still no one saying goodbye,

Though another year has gone by.

* * *

**_We'll find out what happens with Parker and Meredith in another chapter. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura._**


	14. Reindeer Games

_**A/N: Just for fun, an extremely silly story. You may have to use your imagination and overlook leaps of logic. This chapter is set in season 4. The song for this story is Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer by Randy Brooks. No copyright infringement intended.**_

* * *

Grandma got run over by a reindeer,

Walking home from our house, Christmas Eve.

You can say there's no such thing as Santa,

But as for me and grandpa we believe.

She'd been drinking too much eggnog

And we begged her not to go.

But she forgot her medication,

And she staggered out the door into the snow.

When we found her Christmas morning,

At the scene of the attack

She had hoof-prints on her forehead,

And incriminating Claus marks on her back.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

It was a bitterly cold morning in late December, and Seeley Booth was in an incredibly foul mood. It was almost as if he was radiating enough fury to melt the snow that had accumulated in deep drifts around the sidewalk where he stood. The FBI forensic technicians who were canvassing the exclusive neighborhood for clues gave the Special Agent a wide berth as they secured the scene, hoping to avoid his wrath.

"Son of a fucking bitch…', he spat out angrily, talking to nobody in particular. He shivered as he stood with his hands jammed into the pockets of his overcoat. "Bad enough that it's colder than a roomful of ex-girlfriends out here...now I gotta work a murder case on Christmas Eve...and I've got Christmas shopping to do...and I need to have Parker at Rebecca's by five."

His surly grumbling continued as he looked over the crime scene. The body of a petite elderly woman was sprawled out face down in a shallow depression in front of a very large, very expensive looking house. Booth made some mental notes before conferring with the Metro detective who'd made the call to the Hoover. "Look, detective...No way this is any goddamn national security issue, so tell me again why you called the FBI to come out here to take care of something you guys should be able to handle on your own."

Deciding it would be unwise to provoke the large, angry FBI agent, Detective Randy Hewitt tried to be jovial. "It's a high profile case, man… and our station chief hates'm. When I told him who the vic was, he didn't even ask for details...he just told me to call in the cavalry…and here you are..."

Booth was livid, and let the detective know it in no uncertain terms as he shook his finger in the man's face. "So because your supervisor is too fucking lazy to leave his nice warm office, I've got to be out here in this frigid weather, practically freezing my balls off, on Christmas Eve, when I have important things I need to do? Oh, no...I ain't playing that goddamn game. You get the bastard on the phone right now, buddy, or there's gonna be hell to pay! This ain't my jurisdiction and I sure as hell ain't gonna do his work for him…"

"Booth?," Brennan called out as she exited the Jeffersonian's van. "Is everything alright? You seem upset."

He took a deep breath before answering, partly to control his anger, and partly to control his accelerating heart rate. Brennan always had that effect on him…not that he minded all that much, but he was determined to stay angry with the idiot detective standing next to him. "Yeah, I'm fine, Bones. It's just that this fucking joker…Detective Hewitt, here..." He pointed to the man standing next to him. "...called the FBI out to the crime scene because he says his boss didn't want to deal with the cold...nor the publicity surrounding our victim's death. I'm sorry you had to come out in this miserable weather..."

Zipping up her heavy jacket, she shrugged a shoulder as she surveyed the scene. "I don't mind. Because I'm filling in for Dr. Saroyan while she's out of town for the holidays, it's appropriate that I be present as you start your investigation, and, as you are well aware, I prefer to view the body in situ instead of having your techs bringing it into the lab. This way we won't lose as much evidence." She nodded to the man joining her. "Unfortunately, Dr. Hodgins, there may not be much insect activity associated with the remains, given the severity of the cold…"

He grinned broadly as he turned down the ear flaps on his fur lined cap. "On a day like this, those little beauties are looking for a nice warm place to stay, like maybe under the clothing, next to the victim's skin...or possibly even burrowing inside the body. I love playing that kind of hide and seek."

Booth looked like he might vomit at the entomologist's blunt statement. Stamping his feet as he tried to keep warm, the agent pointed at the victim. "What about body temperature and lividity? Isn't the severe cold going to affect how you determine the time of death?"

"Very good question, Booth!" Brennan smiled up at him as she crouched down next to the body. "You've learned quite a bit working with me, haven't you?"

Even as cold as he was, Booth couldn't deny the warm tingly feeling flooding his soul as he considered her compliment. He nodded, trying hard not to smile happily at a crime scene. "Yeah, well...you know, I've picked up a few things here and there." Seeing that the rest of her team had arrived, he turned to the metro detective, who was trying to sneak away from the group.

"Oh no, you don't. You're gonna stay out here at least as long as we do, Detective Hewitt.," Booth said in a low growl. Pointing to the remains, he continued. "You know who this is, right? You said it was a high profile deal..."

"Yeah." Detective Hewitt grimaced as he handed the woman's driver's license to Booth. "This here is Elizabeth Bennington, aged 73…also known as Grandma Bessie or Grandma B..."

"You mean Grandma Bessie...the famous madam? Whoa!" Hodgins whistled softly. "Man…a lot of people are going to be unhappy to hear about this!"

"That's ma-_dame_, Hodgins," Brennan corrected, emphasizing the proper French pronunciation as she hunkered down to inspect the remains.

Booth shook his head. "No, Bones, it's not ma-_dame_…"

She quickly interrupted. "Based on her secondary sex characteristics, ma-_dame _correct…she is most certainly not 'monsieur'..."

Holding his finger up as a warning so that a very confused Detective Hewitt to keep his comments to himself, Booth grimaced as he pointed to a nearby mansion. "It's _mad_-am_,_ Bones, because she runs...or rather she used to run...a place called The Garden of Eden Gentlemen's Club, which is one of the largest and most popular brothels in the DC area. She was in charge of a major prostitution organization."

"She was a purveyor of sex for pay?" Brennan's brows knit in confusion. "Prostitution is illegal in the District of Columbia. How could her brothel become so popular, and ensconced in such an exclusive neighborhood?" She turned to Detective Hewitt. "And if this is such common knowledge, why hasn't your police department's vice squad shut down her operation? Think about all those women who are being exploited…"

Scoffing at Brennan's seeming naivete, Hodgins shook his head. "It's because it's popular with a lot of Beltway honchos, and they've protected her 'business' for their own purposes. Grandma Bessie's clientele includes some of the best known names in the District...federal judges, senators, professional athletes...and then there's the big shots who come to visit her establishment when they're in town for business. I'm sure there was a lot of cash and political influence spread around to make sure the vice squad left Grandma alone, right, Detective Hewitt? Maybe even your own station chief, right? Maybe that's why he called in the big guns..so he could avoid being involved.."

"Um...er...that is...I don't know." Hearing a text alert, the detective reached for his phone. "My chief wants to know where I am…he needs me back at the precinct..."

"Gimme that!" Booth sent a quick text in response and pocketed the phone. "You can have your phone back when we're finished here, so I'd suggest we speed things along. What can you tell us? Have you talked to any witnesses?"

"Just one so far…Veronica Black." He pointed to a young blonde woman who was standing across the street, obviously feeling the cold as she tugged on the hem of the short red velvet dress she was wearing under her full length mink coat. "She was Grandma's right hand woman…I guess she's in charge of the actual day to day operation."

"Well? What did she say?" Booth was quickly running out of patience. "Remember, Hewitt...you're staying until we're done here…"

Detective Hewitt inhaled sharply. "I think you should talk to her yourself. I'm not sure you'd believe me…"

"Of all the…" Booth clenched his fists, thoroughly aggravated with Hewitt's ineptitude. He grabbed the detective's elbow and pulled him along. "Okay, let's go talk to her…"

Leaving Brennan and Hodgins to their work, the two investigators walked over to speak to the blonde. "Ms. Black?" Booth flashed his badge. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI. I'd like to ask you a few questions…"

"Well, aren't you a cutie?" She gave him an appreciative glance before batting her eyelashes at him. "You can ask me anything you want, sugar bear, but let's get out of this cold...how about we go back to my place and you can get your answers in a much more personal way…"

"That won't be necessary...thanks." Clearing his throat, Booth tapped his index cards with his pen. "Detective Hewitt said you gave him some information about the incident, so maybe you can repeat it for me, you know, so I can have a first hand account. Did Ms. Bennington have any enemies that you know of?"

"Well, of course, she did...in our line of work there are always rivalries…some sort of cat fight is always brewing." She pretended to wipe away a tear. "But I know who did this...I saw it...and it was no accident. It was a malicious act of violence…"

"Okay, then...who was it?" Booth was trying to be calm, but he could feel his control slipping away. "You wanna tell me what you saw?"

She nodded, licking her lips nervously. "It was horrible...Grandma was walking home from my house...you know, The Garden of Eden Gentlemen's Club…" Veronica pointed to her left. "...to her own house...it's the white one down there on the corner...the one with all the green trim. You should see it in the summer. Her flower beds are gorgeous..."

Booth puffed out a sigh. "Ms. Black...I'd like to solve this case before summer if you don't mind…"

"Oh...sorry." Veronica closed her eyes so she could concentrate. "It was late last night...past midnight, and we wanted her to stay the night at the Club, seeing how it was so cold and snowy out, but she'd forgotten her flask...the one where she keeps her special medicine. The recipe is a secret, but I think it's basically bourbon with a little bit of honey and lemon…"

"MS. BLACK! PLEASE!" Booth glared at the blonde. "Just stick to the point!"

"Sorry." She bit at her nails as she remembered what happened next. "She was staggering a bit, so I watched her to make sure she was okay. I was standing on the front porch and I saw this rotund man in a red fur suit go roaring by on a reindeer…and next thing I know, she was stretched out flat...so I ran back inside to call the police." She swallowed hard, trying not to cry. "It was awful."

"A reindeer?" Booth turned to Hewitt in surprise. "A reindeer?"

Hewitt nodded. "A Reindeer...you know, it's a brand of snowmobile…a motorized sled?"

"Oh...that kind of reindeer. Okay." Booth turned back to his witness, scribbling information on his note cards as he repeated her story. "So you think Santa Claus ran over Ms. Bennington with a Reindeer snowmobile while she was on her way home early this morning, but you didn't actually see him hit her...you're just making an assumption. Got it. Thank you." He mumbled irritated curses as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. "Call me if you remember anything else, okay?"

"Okay." Veronica offered a flirty grin. "Can I call about a date?"

"NO." Turning his back on her, Booth jogged across the street, leaving Hewitt to console their witness, who seemed appreciative of the attention. "Hey, you two...any sign that our victim there was hit by a snowmobile?"

"Maybe…" Hodgins pointed to the back of the woman's jacket. "Look...runner marks…"

"No sign that the driver tried to veer off, right? Whoever it was just smacked into her." Booth scratched his chin as he inspected the smudges. "Hmm...but would that have killed her? I mean, she's a small person, so maybe the impact injured her, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of blood…and her coat is dirty, but not torn..."

"Actually, Booth…" Brennan paused as they turned the deceased onto her back. "...I'm fairly certain she died from blunt force trauma to her head and chest…but from a source other than a snowmobile."

"See? Right here?" Hodgins chortled happily as he pointed to the remains. "These bruises on her forehead and chest exactly match the hoof prints of _Rangifer tarandus…" _Seeing Booth's confusion, the scientist rolled his eyes. "I know...English, right? A caribou! Otherwise known as a reindeer! The real deal, okay? You know, like Rudolf or Prancer?" He grinned as he held up a tuft of brownish hair which he'd recovered from the victim's coat. "Based on the color of this sample, I'd say the subspecies _granti. _The big question is why would a reindeer be charging through the suburbs, okay? I mean, they'd be hard to miss in a ritzy neighborhood like this, even in the dark…"

Booth shook his head as he ran through the facts once again. "Our witness said she saw a heavyset man who was riding a snowmobile at a high rate of speed while wearing a red suit. She thinks he was responsible for running over Ms. Bennington. Other than the reindeer hoof prints in the snow and mud, is there anything to suggest it was Santa Claus who did the deed?"

Brennan and Hodgins looked at each other, trying not to laugh.

"Booth…you know Santa Claus isn't real, right?" Brennan giggled as she elbowed the entomologist. "A mythical man can't commit murder…"

"Yeah, right, but maybe someone wearing a Santa Claus outfit could." Booth glared at them angrily before turning back to the victim. "Still...there's not much blood splatter here at the scene...is that because it's so cold?"

"No, I don't think so." Standing up and moving to get a better look, Brennan shook her head. "Hodgins and I both believe the body was moved from the place where the victim died and then, apparently, the perpetrator ran over the corpse to make it look like she'd been hit from behind by a snowmobile."

Hodgins pointed to the snow surrounding them. "See? No caribou hoof prints anywhere in the drifts...just tracks from the snowmobile and also two different sizes of boot prints. Based on the size, I'd say a man and a woman."

"But I don't get it...if there aren't any reindeer tracks out here, where did she get those bruises?"

The three of them stood there for a minute, working out the problem, until Booth turned to check on the detective's progress with their lone witness. After after a few minutes, he grunted softly. "I have an idea." He turned and yelled across the street. "Hey, Hewitt! C'mere…"

The detective trotted over to the trio. "What can I do for you, Agent Booth?"

Pointing to the large building housing the Garden of Eden Gentlemen's Club, Booth cleared his throat softly. "Have you been inside that house within the last two weeks?"

"A house of prostitution?" Hewitt scoffed in disgust. "Agent Booth! I'm a married man!"

"Yeah, I saw your ring. Funny thing...your wedding band seems to match the ring Ms. Black is wearing on her right hand. Don't want folks to think Grandma's 'girls' are married, do we?"

"That's just a coincidence...you can buy rings like ours anywhere…"

Booth nodded. "That's probably true." Seeing Hewitt relax a bit, the agent pointed at the mansion again. "Let's go look in the house anyway…"

"Um...I don't really think that's necessary…" Hewitt began backing away slowly from Booth. "Nothing to see there…"

"Well, I won't know until I take a look myself. After all, you're the one who called me out here, detective, so I need to exercise some due diligence, but you can stay here with Dr. Brennan if you want, I guess." Wiping his hands on the front of his coat, Booth smiled at his partner and the entomologist. "Let's me and you go take a walk, Hodgins, since you know about reindeer. Bones, you keep an eye on those remains…"

"Don't you need a warrant to look inside the house?," Hewitt called after them. "Or probable cause?"

"Nah...we're just gonna take a stroll down the sidewalk here...you know, to look at the snow…"

Hodgins leaned over and whispered quietly to Booth. "We need a warrant to do a search, right?"

"Ssh...we're not gonna set fool on the property if I can help it…" Booth pointed at a nearby snowdrift, waving at it for Hewitt's benefit. "...but we're gonna see if there are any tracks leading from the edge of their property to another property, and if there are, we're gonna take pictures of them and then call in for a warrant."

"OH!" Hodgins' eyes widened as he realized what Booth meant. "You think Grandma Bessie has a caribou stashed somewhere on the grounds of the house…like maybe for a Christmas display? Like maybe to help her patrons get into the Christmas spirit? And maybe it accidentally stampeded for some reason and ran her down? A large reindeer can weigh 400 pounds. That might really inflict some damage on a petite elderly lady..."

"Yeah, something like that...and if there are tracks, we can use them as probable cause so the techs can search for evidence on the property…" He paused as he stooped to look at the sidewalk. "Look...short brown hairs...some droppings...footprints...and the direction of the footprints suggest that they came from that direction." He pointed to the Garden of Eden Gentlemen's Club. "I hope that's enough to get a warrant to look for a wayward reindeer. Let's ask Caroline to call a judge…"

Ooooooooooooooo

A few hours later, Brennan smiled as Booth joined her at their favorite table in the diner. "Were you able to finish your shopping?"

"Yeah...Parker's stuff is wrapped and ready to go. I'll just drop it off when I take him over to Rebecca's." Inhaling the aroma from his coffee mug, he sighed in satisfaction. "I'm gonna miss having him for Christmas morning, but he'll be spending the week between Christmas and New Year's with me, so that sort of makes up for it."

"It's a good thing that you were able to wrap up today's case quickly so you can enjoy your holiday." She took a sip from her teacup and set it aside. "What made you suspect the Metro detective was conspiring with Ms. Black?"

"Oh, I don't know...maybe it's because I'm an exceptional Special Agent." He laughed as Brennan rolled her eyes. "Or maybe it was a bunch of little things...like him saying his chief wanted him to call the feds out to the crime scene. I mean, why do that? I know the fella that runs that precinct...he's a glory hog. He'd want to work a big case like that, especially if he was one of Grandma's patrons...that way he could keep his name out of it. It made no sense to call the FBI."

He paused as their server brought his order. Pouring some ketchup onto his plate, he shrugged. "Hewitt was also real quick to take the word of an eye witness without much corroboration, and when I suggested we look in the house, he about had a heart attack, right? And he was really buddy-buddy with Ms. Black...when he was talking to her by himself, he kept touching her arm and her shoulder, like he knew her, so I began to wonder if they were in it together."

"He was acting in a rather suspicious manner.," Brennan said as she stole a french fry from the platter. "But certainly you must've had more to go on than that flimsy bit of intuition. For example, you touch my arm and my shoulder...even my back from time to time...but it doesn't mean anything, does it?"

He cringed slightly at her casual remark. _It doesn't mean anything to you...not yet...but maybe one day… _

Sighing softly, he nodded as he stirred some sugar into his coffee. "I did have more to go on than speculation...I had you and Hodgins. See, Hewitt and Ms. Black were hoping the techs who worked the scene would buy the getting 'run over by a reindeer' bit, but they didn't count on me having the best squints in the world on my side. You two figured out the snowmobile hadn't really injured her, right? Anyway, if Hodgins said Grandma's bruises were made by a caribou...then I trust him. They were made by a caribou. And you recognized blunt force trauma without even looking at the skeleton, right?"

"I suppose that's true." She giggled as he waggled an eyebrow at her. "I did manage to work well with flesh, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did. Good job, Bones.," he teased. "Anyway, with just a little bit more interrogation, I got Ms. Black to spill the beans when we got her back to the Hoover. I guess they'd kept the caribou in some sort of enclosure at the house…"

"Which is against zoning laws…," Brennan added.

"Yeah." Booth chuckled slightly. "That's not really the point, but...anyway...Hewitt was there one evening, seeing Ms. Black, who happens to be his wife. I guess they argued loudly about one of her 'johns' being too attentive, and the noise startled the animal, and it ran into Ms. Bennington when it escaped. Ms. Bennington, being frail, was fatally injured, so they tried to cover it up with the whole fake snowmobile accident thing."

"It's a good thing we were able to see through their plot, isn't it, Booth?"

He quickly agreed. "Yeah, and the sad thing is that if they'd just reported the accident to begin with, a lot of problems could've been avoided, but they tried to cover it up instead, which led to a whole new set of issues. Believe me, I don't mind giving this case to Metro...let them take care of their own mess, right, Bones?"

"Right."

They chatted over their meals for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company. Finally Brennan coughed quietly. "So...what are you doing this evening...after you take Parker to Rebecca's, that is?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm pretty beat. Being out in the cold all day wears me out. I may just crash in my recliner for a few hours before going to Midnight Mass…"

"I see." She stared into her teacup for a few seconds. "Because I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner tonight. I've got some pasta faglioli soup in my refrigerator...maybe we could watch an old movie on television before you went to church...if you wanted." Feeling somewhat awkward, she shrugged shyly. "But if you're too tired, we can do that sort of thing another time."

Suddenly feeling refreshed, Booth couldn't help but grin. "Well, I'm not _that_ tired. Soup sounds great, Bones, and I'd enjoy the company." He popped a french fry in his mouth. "Thanks for the invitation. I'll be over about six, if that's okay with you."

"I'm looking forward to it...and, by the way...I have a small gift for you."

"I'm looking forward to it as well...and, being the generous guy I am, I have a big gift for you." He chuckled as she eagerly began pumping him for information about her surprise. "You'll just have to wait until tonight."

"I suppose that will be satisfactory." She stole another fry. "Merry Christmas, Booth."

"Merry Christmas, Bones."


	15. Rules of Engagement

_**A/N: time for a bit of sweet fluff. The song I used is 'All I want for Christmas is You', by Mariah Carey. **_

_**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura.**_

* * *

I don't want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need.

I don't care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree.

I just want you for my own

More than you could ever know.

Make my wish come true. Oh

All I want for Christmas is you

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

It was early in the morning on December 23. and Meredith Chenowith was gazing out at the puffy white clouds that were zipping by the window as her flight took her to the United States. They'd be landing within the hour, and she was looking forward to spending time with Parker in the DC area while they visited his father, stepmother, and his younger siblings for the Christmas holidays.

They were lovely people, his family...always so friendly and welcoming whenever she'd visited. She smiled as she thought of the special affection she held for Parker's father. The gruff FBI agent was a well respected law enforcement officer, and also a hopeless romantic. He'd been the one who'd encouraged his son to reconnect with his former high school sweetheart...and Meredith would be forever grateful that her boyfriend had trusted his father's judgment in that matter.

At just over eight hours, it was a long flight from the UK to the US capital, but she'd been able to get some sleep, so, feeling somewhat rested, she decided to read another chapter of Dr. Brennan's latest novel. Meredith had been a huge fan of the mystery author in high school, even before she'd met Parker. She giggled softly as she remembered her reaction to Parker's announcement that Temperance Brennan was actually his stepmother.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"_Are you having a laugh at my expense?' She glared at Parker over her plate of bangers and mash. 'You must think I'm barmy to believe that load of bollocks!" _

_He pulled out his phone to show her a family portrait that had been taken the last time he'd visited the States. "It's the truth. Here we are...this was taken last Thanksgiving…"_

_Utterly gobsmacked, Meredith sat in stunned silence for a few seconds before realizing she should say something polite. "Oh, my God...it's true! So...um...nice picture by the way. Not to be rude but...do you think she'd autograph a book for me? I mean, I know it's presumptuous to play on our friendship, but…"_

"_I don't know…she gets a lot of requests like that, and she's really busy…" Parker had wanted to milk the situation for all it was worth, but seeing Meredith's disappointment, he quickly caved in. 'I'm sure she will, Mere. I'll ask her next time we skype...and then she can mail it to you..."_

"_Brilliant! Thank you!" She smiled shyly as she reached for her tea cup. "I'd appreciate it…"_

'_No problem...glad I could help.' He chuckled to himself, wondering how Bones would feel about him using her name to get a girl's attention. "I bet she won't mind a bit."_

_*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*_

Having met Dr. Brennan a few years later, Meredith was still slightly in awe of the prolific mystery writer. "Imagine…," she muttered to herself. "I've had meals with her, and I've spent time at her house, too. Alice was so jealous last time I came to visit. She and Mum both love her books as much as I do.''

Accessing her tablet, she settled back in her seat to find out what kind of predicament Kathy Reichs and Andy Lister had gotten themselves into at the moment. Unfortunately, Meredith was having a hard time concentrating. Her mind kept turning back to the man in her life...the reason she'd spent eight hours squeezed into a narrow seat in the coach section of the plane. Given her destination, she didn't really mind...she couldn't wait to see Parker again. It had been three months since she'd seen him...but it felt like forever.

While hers was a long flight this time, it was still shorter than the one she'd taken to Miami a few months before in order to see Parker between his duty rotations. Miami was a beautiful city, and she'd enjoyed the sub tropical climate and the city's laid back attitude immensely. It helped that there were a lot of things to do in the area besides going to the beach. Parker had taken her to see the Florida Panthers play an ice hockey match, and she still had a hard time wrapping her mind that there was an ice arena in the Sunshine State.

After her visit, it had occurred to her that, given the right incentive, she'd like to live there someday, but for now, that was just a pleasant daydream. As much as she might wish it so, there'd been nothing said between them about making their relationship permanent.

Anyway, they'd agreed to meet in DC for Christmas this year so she could enjoy the nation's capital decked out in its holiday splendor, and that was fine with her. She didn't care which city they were visiting as long as she got to see him again.

Besides, it was her turn to make the international trip. Parker had been to the UK several times over the two years that had passed since the Christmas when they'd reconnected. She loved his visits, and hated it when he had to leave. He normally couldn't stay long, so they made good use of every minute they had together, but it still wasn't enough. She was tired of having to say goodbye to the man she loved so much. She was tired of missing his goofy jokes, his stubborn insistence on using American English in the UK, and most of all, his tender embrace. She wanted something more...

Annoyed with herself, she set her tablet aside as she contemplated how things were working out between the two of them. The difficulties in conducting a long distance romance were numerous, and she couldn't help but wonder if they had a realistic chance of enjoying a future together. They loved each other...that much was true. The question was whether or not their relationship could withstand the strain of them being apart for more time than they were together. She considered whether it was unfair to expect him to be satisfied with being literally an ocean apart from his girlfriend. Maybe they needed to talk things over while they were in DC…maybe they could try to come to an understanding. They were both intelligent adults...surely they could work things out...

Shaking her head, Meredith clucked to herself as she gathered her belongings and packed them in her carry on bag. She'd never put Parker in the position of having to give up his commission with the US Coast Guard. He'd worked too hard to get it, and he was proud of the part he was playing in his country's defense. No...he was successful and advancing quickly through the ranks. She wouldn't make him choose between his love for her or his career.

Glancing at some papers in a large envelope before jamming them back into her bag, she smiled. Right or wrong, it was time to make a change...and perhaps force the issue.

She just hoped she wasn't making a massive mistake.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Parker was pacing nervously as he waited in the baggage claim area at Dulles International Airport. The plane had already landed, but that was beside the point. It didn't matter how often Meredith had flown to the US...he was always edgy until he saw her come out of the tunnel leading away from the customs area.

_There has to be a better way to do this relationship thing...it's so expensive flying back and forth just so we can spend a few days together. We need a plan... _

He'd had that thought literally a million times over the past two years, ever since he'd gone to see Meredith while visiting his mother in London. Meredith was the one for him...the only woman he ever loved, even if she really did live an ocean away from him, but he knew the thrill of constant traveling was wearing thin for both of them.

_Great, huh? How come I couldn't fall in love with the girl next door? _Shaking his head as he watched the constant stream of cars moving in front of the terminal, he chuckled to himself. It didn't really matter. She'd always been his standard, no matter where she lived. He was tired of being alone. He missed having her curl up next to him on the sofa as they watched television, drinking her favorite instant tea as he teased her about telling her mum. He missed her off key singing...and the way she looked when she first stepped out of the shower in the morning…

_Whoa, boy. Let's not get carried away...you're in public, Lieutenant Booth..._

He grinned as he remembered how entranced he'd been the first time he'd seen her.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

"_Dammit, Kev...I don't think this is a good idea."_ _Parker pulled at his shirt collar as they stood on the doorstep of the Chenowith household. "I hate being set up like this! Blind dates suck, man...I'm sweating like a damn pig..."_

_Ringing the doorbell, Kevin sighed in frustration as he eyed his overly cautious friend. "Look, mate...this isn't about you, is it? You're just helping a bloke out. Alice's father thinks she's too young to go out on a date alone with me, and you're going to be her sister's date so we can double up. That's all...no strings, right? It's just once or twice, until I can prove to the old man that I'm alright...kind of like a wing man. Brilliant plan, if I do say so…"_

"_Did it occur to you how long it might take for you convince the old guy that you're not actually a horndog?" Parker groaned as he shifted from one foot to the other. He was always so bashful around girls… "C'mon, Kev…"_

"_Look...you saw her last week at chapel, right? She's lush, right? You said you fancied her…"_

_Before he could answer, the door opened and Parker's life was changed forever. Meredith was indeed beautiful, with her dark, silky hair and her expressive green eyes..._

"_Oi..," she said with a cheeky grin. "It's you two, is it? Come on, then...Dad wants to meet you…"_

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Parker nodded as he checked his phone for messages. That was his Mere...pretty, clever, and with a great sense of humor. They'd hit it off almost immediately, much to Kevin's surprise. What was even more surprising was how much her father had liked him from the start, or so he'd said when Parker was last in London. Mr and Mrs. Chenowith were both happy to see him again...

Tired of pacing, he found an empty seat by the baggage carousel and plopped into it with a grunt. It was hell being separated from Meredith after they'd finally gotten back together, but duty called...he'd had to be back in Miami soon afterwards so he could do his rotation. He'd been back to London as many times as he could after that Christmas, but, as wonderful as it was to see her, it was just as awful to leave her behind. He'd never get used to it. Even when they were apart, she was constantly on his mind, making their separation even more painful.

He knew the two of them needed to work out a more workable solution for their relationship, but at the moment he had no idea of what that solution might be. They loved each other...he knew that, but was that love really enough? Was he being selfish, wanting to keep her all for himself when he wasn't even around? Maybe he should let her go...maybe they should just give up…

_Who am I kidding? I'd never be strong enough to do that..._

Meredith had loved her visit to Miami, and he'd longed to ask her to move there permanently, but he knew she'd be hesitant to give up her new position at the hospital.

_That wouldn't be fair...she's in charge of her wing...there's no way she'd want to start at the bottom again…besides, I'm gone for long stretches at a time...in some ways it'd be just like what we have going now..._

He pulled an envelope from his pocket, checking its contents once again. If he approached it carefully, he might be able to get her to go for this compromise, and then maybe they could make their relationship permanent. "It couldn't hurt to try, right?," he said to himself. "It's got to be better than what we have now…"

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the footsteps approaching his chair.

"So...you don't look all that excited to see me at all! Pity, really. I guess I'll go back home..."

Laughing Parker jumped from his seat and spun around, "Yeah, well…" Taking Meredith into his arms, he gave her a passionate kiss, much to the delight of the people milling around in baggage claim. "Better, dearest?"

Meredith wore a dreamy smile as she took his hand. "Much…shall we go?"

"Your chariot awaits, milady…let's vamoose. Chop chop..."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

It was early afternoon on Christmas Day, and there was a brief respite from the normally noisy Booth-Brennan holiday celebration. Parker sighed happily as he stretched out on the sofa in the living room. Later that day, the house would be filled with everyone who'd been invited for Christmas dinner, but for now, he was going to savor the quiet.

His dad and Bones were busy in the kitchen, putting the final touches on the feast. Hank was in his room, playing with his new video game system, and Christine was visiting her best friend Jennifer, who lived next door.

"Ah...peace and quiet…," he murmured. "...at last." He was almost asleep when a thought crossed his mind.

"Wait...where's Meredith?"

He heard a sultry chuckle coming from a corner of the room. Propping himself up on his elbows, he narrowed his eyes at her. "Have you been spying on me from the recliner?"

She shrugged as she came over and sat on the end of the sofa. "Maybe. I offered to help with dinner, but your father shooed me out of the kitchen." She pretended to be offended. "He said something about not trusting that someone who makes instant tea is able to cook."

They both laughed at her joke. Pulling himself up to sit beside her, he grinned. "I loved my gifts, Meredith. Pretty sneaky to have them shipped here to my dad's house." He tugged on the hem of his sweatshirt. "I'm proud of my Panthers shirt…and I love my new watch."

She giggled as he kissed her. "You're welcome, love. I like my earrings, too, and my father will be most pleased with his new cap." Snuggling closer, she gave him a flirty wink. "However, I do have one more gift for you...but I wanted to give it to you in private."

Parker tried to peek inside the gift bag. "Oh? Is it a picture of your 'naughty bits'?"

Meredith was scandalized. "Parker! Don't talk like that! Your parents might hear you!"

"It's alright. I'm pretty sure they know we're sexually active, especially as rambunctious as you were last night. I'm surprised that Bones hasn't asked us about our birth control method." Seeing Meredith's bright red blush, he chuckled as he got up and retrieved what looked to be a wrapped shoe box from under the tree. "Well, I have something else for you, too. I was saving it for tonight, but you might as well open it now."

"Me first." Meredith handed him the bag and then put her hand over his. "If you don't like it, it can be returned."

"I'm sure I'll love it, seeing how it came from you." He paused as he pulled out a set of stapled papers. Leafing through them, he gave her a quizzical look. "I don't understand."

Hesitating slightly, she took a deep breath. "I've applied for a work visa so I can move to the States. Dr. Brennan knows the Director of Nursing at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, so while you were at sea…" She bit her lip as he narrowed his eyes at her. "...I flew over and had an interview with her. I was actually there in town for almost a week...you know, looking over the facilities, checking out housing..."

"You were in the States and you didn't tell me…," Parker said slowly, somewhat annoyed. "I see…"

"It just happened that you were at sea when the interview was scheduled." Feeling awkward, Meredith rushed to explain her plan. "I wasn't trying to hide this from you, Parker, but I didn't want to say anything in case it didn't work out, either. However, the Director was most impressed with my references and my work experience, and she offered me a job on the spot. I can start work there as soon as I get my papers in order and approved. Of course, I'll have to make arrangements to move, you know, but that shouldn't be too hard, and the best news is that since it's a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Miami, I can get my permanent credentials quickly and even work towards becoming a nurse practitioner." Noticing Parker's stunned silence, she paused, nervously picking at her nails. "I'm sorry...I guess I've overstepped, haven't I? It's a harebrained scheme…and I should've told you. I mean, we should've talked about what we both wanted...but I knew you wanted to stay in Miami, and this way we could be together...if that's what you wanted, but if not..."

"Of course I want us to be together. It's a wonderful gift...everything that I've ever dreamed of..." He shook off his surprise and smiled happily. "It's just that...well, your gift to me sort of puts a dent in my gift to you. It's gonna be kind of anticlimactic." Seeing her confusion, he handed her the shoe box. "I think you'll see what I mean. Open it…"

After tearing the paper away, she lifted the lid. "What is this? There are different things in here."

"Well, it's in three parts." He pointed to a thick envelope. "Open that one first."

Her brow furrowed as she read the letter out loud. "Hutchison Port Holdings, Felixstowe, UK. Dear Lt. Booth, thank you for your recent interview. We are pleased to offer you a position with our company. We are prepared to offer you your choice of shipping route…" She gasped in surprise. "You got a job at Felixstowe? As a sort of merchant marine?"

"They're always looking for able bodied seamen to pilot their cargo ships, and my experience with computer navigation in the Coast Guard has made me a prime candidate. I know it's not London, but it's not far from your family...a two hour drive...or if you'd rather, we could live in Southampton...they have offices there, too."

Seeing her disbelief, he pointed to a smaller envelope. "Open that one next."

"Okay…" Her eyes widened in surprise as she read its contents. "No way…"

"Yes, way...that's a fiancee visa, Meredith...once it's approved, you can stay up to ninety days in the US, and then we can get married here. I mean, I know you already have a work visa coming, so you may not need that...but, anyway, if you're interested in moving to Florida to be close to me, I'd love that, or if you want to live in the UK, I'm fine with that, too. As long as we're together, either way is great, but with one condition." He held out the third object from the box. "Open it."

Tears filled Meredith's eyes as she peered inside the small black velvet case. "Oh, Parker...it's perfect…"

"I thought you'd like it." Parker nodded as he slipped the diamond solitaire on her finger. "So...what do you think? Florida or Felixstowe?"

"Well…" She pursed her lips slightly as she thought over the question. "I think Florida would be better...I could go to school while you were away from home, so I'd have something to do...and I love the warm weather and the beaches there…and I could learn about hockey..."

"However, it's far from your family…." Parker began.

Giggling, she interrupted him. "Well, actually...it was my Mum and Dad who suggested I look into moving to the States. They said they were tired of watching me mope around because I missed you so much...and it would give them an excuse to come visit." She smiled slyly. "Of course, I haven't actually said I'd marry you...not yet, anyway..."

"Maybe that's because I haven't asked you yet." Parker sighed softly, gazing at the ring on her finger before lifting his eyes to hers. "Meredith Suzanne Chenowith...you are beautiful, clever, and hilariously funny. You are my standard, even if you do use instant tea and can't carry a note in a bucket. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

"Parker Matthew Booth, you are brave, handsome, intelligent, and resourceful, and I love you tremendously, even if you haven't given up your penchant for silly sports, refuse to learn the Queen's English and tend to indulge in far too many helpings of fish and chips." Meredith gently caressed his cheek. "How could I refuse a man who loves me so much that he would give up a career he's worked so many years to obtain, just to make me happy?"

"You're willing to leave everything behind to be with me, Meredith…your family...your friends...your career..." He swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure. "I just hope I turn out to be worth the sacrifices you've made…"

Blinking back her tears, she nestled against him."You've always been worth it, love."

He chuckled softly. "So does that mean yes?"

She jabbed him playfully. "Of course...unless I find out that you've a girlfriend in every port, that is…"

"The only port I sail out of is Miami, Mere…and I'll have you, if that counts for anything."

"Really? And by the way, when were you in Felixstowe? A two hour drive and you didn't come see me?"

"A couple of months ago." He feigned innocence. "You were working…"

"You could've called…"

"It would've ruined the surprise…besides, it was like a 24 hour turn around..."

"I would've made even a short period of time worth your while, you know…"

"I think we're even, don't you?" Parker pulled her onto his lap and gave her a kiss. "So...when should we get married, dearest?"

"June...but maybe instead of the States, it should be London, love…"

"London? No way…"

"Yes, way…" She interrupted his protest with a kiss. "I win…"

He rolled his eyes at her merry laughter. "Okay, maybe I'll give in, just this once…"

"Right...just this once…" Meredith arched an eyebrow at him. "Not that we're going to keep score on who wins each argument."

It was his turn to laugh. "Maybe you won't score...but I will…and it seems like anyway you look at it, I've won this round." He kissed her once again before taking out his phone to begin a list. "We have to set a date, figure out how to get you moved to Miami, get your paperwork in order, and I need to request some PTO…."

"There are definitely a lot of details to consider, Parker, but I do think it will be worth it in the long run."

"Me, too." He grinned as he pushed a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "I love you, Meredith...soon to be my wife...Chenowith."

"I love you, too, Parker...soon to be my husband...Booth."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Watching part of the couple's tete a tete from the safety of the kitchen, Booth laughed happily as he looked for the knife he needed to carve the turkey. "I think we're getting a daughter in law for Christmas, Bones…"

"So Parker has proposed to Meredith? Wonderful." She smiled as she tossed her dish towel aside. "Let's go congratulate them…"

Booth put out his hand to stop her. "Nah...let's wait. Why don't we let them enjoy this first few minutes of their engagement by themselves, okay? We can act surprised later when they tell everyone else at dinner tonight."

"Alright." Brennan was thoughtful as she glanced toward the family room. "I like Meredith very much, Booth, but they are so young...do you think they're ready to get married?"

"Well, they're old enough to get married, whether we like it or not, right?" He shrugged as he began to saw on the turkey's leg. "They are young, but here's the deal. They get along really well. They've both worked hard to keep their long distance relationship going, so they already have a good handle on how to maintain their partnership. They've learned how to make decisions together, and how to talk to each other. They still have a lot to learn, of course, but I think they've made a good start. They'll be fine…"

Brennan was all smiles as she embraced her husband. "I think, perhaps, given how they've handled the long distance situation, that Parker and Meredith have an excellent chance of having a successful marriage."

"I think you're right..." Kissing her tenderly, Booth smiled. "...and if they're half as happy as we are, Bones, they'll be very happy together for many years."


	16. A Tale of Two Christmas Eves

_**A/N: better late than never, I suppose. This chapter is slightly AU because I've filled in a bit of a blank as to what happened during the Christmas holiday during season 6. Truth in advertising...Hannah is mentioned briefly in this chapter.**_

_**This chapter as 2 songs mentioned: Merry Christmas, Darling by Frank Pooler and Richard Carpenter and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.**_

* * *

The galleries of the Jeffersonian had been lavishly decorated for Christmas, with swags of greenery and festive red and gold ribbon festooned over the arched doorways, but Booth didn't have time to admire the scenery. He was in a hurry that Christmas Eve, marching across the museum as a man with a purpose. He had a personal matter that needed his attention, and time was running out if he wanted to get it handled before the Jeffersonian closed for the holiday.

As he thought about his errand, he scolded himself for considering it some sort of dreaded chore. Coming to visit his partner at the lab used to be the highlight of his day, but things had become very weird between them lately. It was hard for him to fathom how much their relationship had changed over the course of twelve months. Last year at this time they'd been planning to invite all of their friends over to Bones' apartment for Christmas dinner. This year...

"Well, let's just say this year, we're aren't going to celebrate Christmas that way.," he muttered in annoyance. He paused slightly before turning down the hall that led to Brennan's office. Why was he so aggravated about that? After all, it was to be expected that he'd want to spend Christmas Eve with Hannah…and he was looking forward to doing just that. He had a lovely holiday planned. Parker would be over on Christmas morning this year, and after opening presents, they were going to have turkey and all the trimmings for lunch...just the three of them, enjoying a pleasant day. Parker was still getting used to Hannah, and she wasn't exactly comfortable around children, but he knew they'd both adjust soon, and then they'd have a wonderful holiday, even if Hannah wasn't quite as excited about Christmas as he was. As a matter of fact, she was leaving for an overseas assignment late in the evening on Christmas Day.

However, if he was honest with himself, he'd have to admit that he was mostly irritated because his partner had made no effort to include them in any of _her_ Christmas plans. He didn't like being snubbed by her, especially since Bones and Hannah were supposed to be friends. He couldn't imagine why he and his girlfriend had been left off her Christmas dinner guest list. After all, everyone had enjoyed such a good time last year, and Bones had talked about it becoming an annual event. So why ignore him now?

He shook his head as he made his way through the wing housing the offices. It wasn't rational for him to feel that way...he knew that. As he considered the situation, he wondered if Bones had made the decision to skip hosting a big holiday dinner this year. That would be logical, given that she'd had never been completely comfortable celebrating Christmas, since she didn't believe in God or the whole Christmas 'myth'. Still...it would've been nice to hear what sort of plans she had for the holiday, like if she was going to see her brother, or if her cousin was visiting.

"Well, maybe it's none of my business, but I'm gonna ask Bones what's going on with her Christmas plans this year. She's been so secretive lately.," he grumbled in a surly tone. "You'd think she was working on some special projects for the CIA or something…"

He heaved a sigh as he self consciously patted his jacket. The Christmas gift he had for Bones was securely tucked away in his pocket. He'd always gotten her a little something for Christmas, even though he knew she didn't celebrate the holiday. It had always struck him as so incredibly sad that she disliked this particular holiday so much. He knew her feelings were justified, with the timing of her parents' disappearance and how that had drastically changed her life. Still, he'd long ago decided it wouldn't hurt to try to cheer her up with a Christmas gift over the years, and in time she'd learned not only to receive her gift happily, but also to give him a gift in return.

Unfortunately, this Christmas season had been very different. She seemed to be avoiding him at all costs, and when they did talk, it was strictly business...something case related, and nothing else. No matter how often he tried to change the subject, she had refused to discuss anything with him that was unrelated to work. It seemed that her emotional walls had been rebuilt to the same point as when they'd first started working together.

"And now we hardly talk at all! It's like we don't even know each other any more!," he exclaimed to nobody in particular. "What is up with that? I mean, we're friends, right?"

His query echoed off the walls of the corridor, and suddenly he felt ridiculous. Maybe he needed to calm down. After all, it wasn't his partner's problem that he was frustrated and irritable that afternoon. "I trusted Hannah, and she thanks me by snooping in my dresser…"

Of course, he knew that wasn't _actually_ what had happened. Hannah had been trying to help by putting the laundry away. It wasn't her fault that she'd found the package he'd had squirreled away in the back of the underwear drawer for months. The worst part had been explaining that the gift wasn't for her...and there'd been no easy way to explain why he'd purchased it with another woman in mind. _And now Hannah's pissed at me, and rightly so, I guess. I gotta find something for her to make up for it, but this little beauty is for Bones...only for Bones..._

He'd seen the exquisite lapis lazuli pendant in a market in Afghanistan while he'd been stationed there to train the troops, and it had immediately reminded him of his Bones. The heavy silver disk was suspended from a chain made in traditional Afghan style, and boasted a large blue center stone surrounded by several smaller turquoise beads. The brilliant blue color had reminded him of her eyes, and he couldn't resist…even though it was very expensive, he knew she'd love it, and he had to have it for her.

That had been before he'd met Hannah. It probably would've been more practical to give the necklace to his new girlfriend, but she rarely wore jewelry other than simple gold earrings. The pendant had instead been sitting in the back of his dresser drawer, waiting until the right time for him to bestow it on his partner.

But was this Christmas really the right time? He contemplated the question as he walked to Bones' office. Maybe he should've gotten her something less personal, but she was still his friend…she'd know that beautiful piece of jewelry was nothing more than a symbol of their friendship, right? That's all there was to it…a token of esteem...

He stopped short when he got to her office. The door was locked and all the lights were out. Even her computer monitor was black.

Surprised, he tried the doorknob again, but it wouldn't budge. It was obvious Bones was gone, but the question remained: where did she go?

Striding down the hall to Cam's office, he knocked sharply on her door. "Hey, Cam? Is Bones out sick today or something?"

Dr. Saroyan looked up from her monitor in surprise. "She didn't tell you?"

Booth rolled his eyes at her. "Tell me what? Where is she?"

"She's gone…," Cam began quietly. "I have to admit, it was somewhat of a surprise…but I guess I should've seen it coming..."

"Gone?" Booth was horrified. "What do you mean, 'she's gone'? I just saw her a couple of days ago. She can't be gone..."

"Take it easy, Seeley." Seeing that she had his attention, Cam continued in a calm tone of voice. "Dr. Brennan is in China. She and Professor Shi Jon Chen left the day before yesterday to do a study of some bones found in Wu Hong Cave. She said they're supposed to be 40,000 years old…"

"So she went now? Over Christmas?" Booth was astonished. "And she left a two days ago? Why didn't she tell me?," he stammered frantically. "Really? How long is she staying?"

"I'm not sure...a month? Six weeks?" Cam paused, trying to figure out why her friend seemed so upset. "The Chinese government invited Professor Chen to take a look at the find and he invited Dr. Brennan to go along. She was thrilled...she said ancient remains have always been her first passion…"

"Yeah, I know. That's what she said when we tried to see those old bones a couple of years ago." Booth swallowed, trying to clear the lump in his throat as he remembered their 'almost' trip to China. "She didn't even get to leave the plane last time she went there…we had to bring a murderer back to the States and she didn't have time..."

"So she said. And you don't have to worry, Booth…she'll be safe." Cam turned back to her monitor. "Because of Title 18, they have an FBI agent traveling with them...I think his name is Babcock? Something like that? He seems nice...and he's kind of cute..."

"Charlie Babcock? No way...that idiot? He can't find his ass with both hands!" Clenching his fists, Booth was shaking with anger. "And you just let her go, Cam? It's not like murders are gonna quit happening because Bones is out of town! Jesus, I can't believe this...she just goes galavanting off to Asia and nobody tells me, but that's okay, right? She's my partner, dammit...she should've told me!"

"For your information, Booth, Dr. Brennan is not a prisoner at this museum. She is able to come and go as she pleases. Anyway, her contributions to the study will be invaluable to the Chinese and bring prestige to the Jeffersonian." Arching an eyebrow, Cam turned back to her friend, somewhat shocked at his confusion. "She really didn't tell you she was going to China?"

"No! I mean, seriously, Cam! Why didn't you call me when she first brought it up? Maybe I could've talked her out of going!," Booth fumed. "She just up and leaves without saying a word, like I don't mean anything to her anymore...like our partnership is nothing. Not only that, I didn't get to say goodbye…" He glared at the pathologist, throwing his hands in the air. "Goddammit! What was she thinking? Of all the inconsiderate, harebrained schemes...and that Professor Chen is a louse...he's just looking to take advantage of her...and I didn't get to tell Babcock how to take care of her, you know? She just up and left? And you're okay with it?"

"You're being irrational." Cam returned to her typing. "Listen, Seeley, Brennan is a grown woman who can make her own decisions. She's traveled all over the world, and she can take care of herself. Besides, you know I'd never be able to convince her to change her mind about going once she'd made a decision, and It's not my fault she didn't tell you she was going to China, so get over yourself."

Another thought occurred to Booth, and now he was even more irate. "So what am I supposed to do in the meantime, Cam. since I won't have any help on my cases? Hold my breath and hope no murders occur? I'm sure that's gonna work! I'm her partner, for God's sake...I have a right to know if she's gonna go somewhere instead of being left high and dry! Son of a bitch!"

"That's enough, Booth." Calmly holding up her hand to interrupt his angry tirade, Cam exhaled slowly. "Dr. Edison will be available to assist you should the need arise. Now, I'm sorry you and Dr. Brennan haven't been communicating as well as you normally do, but there's nothing I can do about it. She has already left, so if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Recognizing that he'd been dismissed, an angry Booth slowly turned and walked across the museum, taking the elevator down to the parking garage.

Somehow he found himself sitting in his SUV. He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, listening to the oldies radio station as it played its endless stream of holiday music in honor of the season while he tried to make sense of the news Cam had just given him.

He was fine...or so he told himself. Who really cared if Bones had gone to China for six weeks without telling him? Cam was right...Bones was a grown woman, and she could do what she wanted without his approval. As a world renowned anthropologist, her expertise was often sought by government entities all over the world. Realistically he should've expected this to happen more often...it was just like her trip to Mapuku all over again. He knew she'd often turned down offers to consult on new finds because of her commitment to work with him, and she'd been so excited to look over those Chinese bones two years ago when the find had first been discovered. Now that the opportunity had arisen for her to go see them, she needed to take advantage of it. She was off doing the exciting part of her job without him...leaving him all alone...but he was fine…

Or so he thought, until Karen Carpenter's velvety voice came across the SUV's speakers..

_Merry Christmas, Darling._

_We're apart that's true._

_But I can dream and in my dreams_

_I'm Christmasing with you._

"Jesus...really? That's all I need…" Those words had struck an unpleasant nerve. He reached out to turn down the sound, but he wasn't quick enough.

_That I wish you a Merry Christmas._

_Happy New Year, too_

_I've just one wish on this Christmas Eve_

_I wish I were with you..._

He sniffled quietly as he sat alone in his SUV, hoping that no one could see him wiping away his tears. "I shouldn't feel this way...I have Hannah, and I'm happy with her. She's not a consolation prize...I love Hannah, not Bones…not like that...it's not like Bones is my girlfriend. Hannah is my girlfriend."

After quickly blotting his face with his handkerchief, he checked the time. It was almost five, and he was supposed to meet Hannah for an apology dinner at Rigoletto's at six. Exhaling slowly, he backed out of his spot and left the parking garage. Maybe if he got to the restaurant early he could clean up a bit and she wouldn't suspect that he'd been crying over Bones, because that would never do.

Glancing in his rear view mirror, he sighed as he thought about the necklace in his jacket pocket. He'd have to find another hiding place for that little trinket. It was time to get over Bones for real...and go all in on Hannah.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Another twelve months had passed, and Booth's life had changed once again. He was humming happily as he bustled around his apartment's tiny kitchen on Christmas Eve, putting the finishing touches on their meal.

He smiled to himself as he thought over everything that had happened in the last year, knowing that he was a very lucky man. "Things could've been so different.," he murmured as he checked on the oven's contents. "I might've settled for second best, but now I've got Bones...and I'm so happy…"

"Booth, who are you talking to?" Brennan smiled as she joined him. "Are you speaking some sort of magical Christmas incantations over the lasagna?"

"No…" He quickly took her into his arms. "I'm just telling myself what a lucky man I am...I have a beautiful girlfriend…" He gently rubbed her abdomen. "...and I'm gonna be a dad again...I don't think I've ever been this happy."

"I'm happy, too." She gave him a beautiful smile before kissing him. "Do you think we have time for you to open a package before dinner? I have something special for you…"

Waggling an eyebrow at her, he grinned. "What kinda package are we talking about?"

"Behave yourself!" She giggled as he nibbled her ear. "We need to wait until after dinner for that!" Taking his hand, she pulled him over to the couch and made him sit down. "Close your eyes…"

He pretended to close them as she looked under their Christmas tree. "Here it is...I hope you like this, Booth…"

"I'm sure I will…" He quickly tore the wrapping paper away from the small box. "Oh, wow! A Luc Robitaille autographed hockey puck...and Flyer cuff links?"

"Yes...I couldn't decide which you would like more, so I purchased both of them." She smiled shyly as she ran her finger over the enameled hockey logo. "I find that I wish to indicate to other females that you belong to me. Anthropologically speaking, the gift of jewelry does that. These cuff links mark you as mine…"

"I see." He smiled indulgently as he listened to her explanation. "Okay, well, now I consider myself to be duly marked." He got up from the sofa and opened his wall safe. "And I'm glad you explained it so well. Maybe that's why I got this for you." He handed her a gift bag. "Merry Christmas, Bones…"

Pulling the tissue from the bag, she gasped in delight as she found the treasure tucked inside. "Oh, Booth! It's lovely...I love lapis lazuli…and the workmanship is excellent." She turned it over and studied it closely. "It's Afghani, correct?"

"I figured you'd like it. Here, let me help you…" He fastened the clasp for her and sat back to admire the pendant as it graced her throat. "I saw it at this market stall in some small town while I was stationed in Afghanistan, and I immediately thought of you…"

"You've had it that long? But why didn't you…" Brennan paused as she realized what had happened. "Oh…"

"Yeah. Life got in the way, I guess. I was going to give it to you last Christmas, even though things were awkward between us, but you'd left for China by the time I'd got up the nerve…"

"I'm sorry, Booth." She patted his knee as he pulled her close. "I felt as if I was in the way while Hannah was living with you, so I decided to leave town for awhile. I know now that it was inconsiderate of me as your partner not to let you in on my plans. I wanted you to be happy with Hannah without worrying about me…so I left."

"Except I've always worried about you...thought about you…" He sighed softly. "...loved you. I mean, I know we've talked through all that stuff about me and Hannah, but…it's true. I've always loved you...even when she was around. I think that's why she was so angry when she found that necklace in my underwear drawer. I think she knew, deep down, that she was always going to play second fiddle to you. Maybe that's why she said no to my proposal...and as upset as I was at the time, right now I can't help but be thankful that she turned me down."

Brennan nodded. "I'm thankful as well."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Brennan cleared her throat. "Booth, do you know why I came home early from my trip to China?," Brennan asked quietly as she nestled against him. Seeing him shake his head, she smiled. "It was because I realized how much I missed having you in my life. Even if you were with someone else romantically, I still needed you as my friend. Now, just think...I get to have you in my life...as my friend and my lover, too...and it's a remarkable feeling..."

"Yep, and so now here we are...me and you, and we're gonna be a family, right? And we're gonna celebrate every Christmas with the biggest tree we can find, and have lotsa presents...maybe even a pony, right? And a giant TV for Daddy...106 inches, right? And it'll hang in the family room of our house...our home." Engulfing her in his embrace, he kissed her passionately. "And every year, Christmas will get better, because we'll still be together…us and our kids..."

She giggled softly as he gently caressed her. "I love you, Booth, and I'm looking forward to sharing many Christmases with you…"

"Really?" He gave her a sly grin. "Well, if you want, we can start sharing this Christmas right now.," he whispered as his kisses became more insistent. "After all, it is Christmas Eve...not too early to start our celebration…"

"Perhaps…," she purred as she ran her hands down his well muscled arms and then under his shirt. "...I'm sure it's already Christmas somewhere…"

Just then the oven timer rang noisily.

"Hold that thought." Booth jumped up from the sofa and ran to take the lasagna from the oven before hurriedly returning to the task at hand. "Now...where were we?"

"I believe you were about to wish me a Merry Christmas, Booth."

"Oh yeah...and while we're at it, let's go for a Happy New Year, too…"

She agreed with a sultry laugh that set him on fire. "An excellent idea. I love you, Booth…"

His heart leapt in his chest as once again he realized how lucky he really was. "I love you, too, Bones…"

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Through the years, we all will be together,

If the Fates allow.

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

* * *

_**Yes, I know...Booth could be dense when it came to Hannah and his Bones...**_

_**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. One more chapter to go...**_


	17. A Family Tradition

_**Here's the last chapter...finally! It's a little angsty at the beginning but things work out. This chapter is set about fifty years in the future, so you may have to use your imagination.**_

**_If you want to know more about Christine and her adult years, you might want to check out my story called Photographs and Memories, which I wrote for last year's Christmas challenge._**

* * *

_Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays,_

_'Cause no matter how far away you roam_

_If you want to be happy in a million ways,_

_For the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home._

_*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*_

Christine Booth-Hodgins glanced anxiously at the clock hanging over the fireplace. She expected her guests for Christmas dinner to begin arriving within the next thirty minutes, and there was still so much to do. Usually her husband would be more than willing to help, but he'd already left to pick up his brother and sister-in-law and their two boys at the airport, so it was time to call in the reinforcements. She stood at the foot of the landing and called to her eldest child. "Seeley? I need you downstairs, please...and bring Joy and Max with you."

She chuckled as the three of them trampled noisily down the steps, obviously in a hurry. "Is it dinner time?, Max asked as he glanced into the dining room. "Where's all the food?"

"The turkey and ham are almost done, and people are bringing the rest of the meal when they come later today. Don't worry...you'll have plenty." Christine made a sweeping gesture around the room. "I need you three to help me with getting things ready before everyone gets here, okay?"

Seeing them nod, she handed out the assignments. "Joy, I want you to wrap the silverware in these napkins. Look...I've already done one...just fold the napkin like this…"

"Okay, but wouldn't it be easier just to put the stuff at the end of the table? That way they can pick it up when they go by." Joy rolled her eyes in disdain at her mundane task. "With all the food, no one's gonna care what it looks like, Mom…it's not like we need to be fancy. It's just our family..."

"I'll care." Narrowing her eyes at her daughter, Christine stood with her hands on her hips. "Besides, this way nobody forgets to pick up a napkin, and with a large crowd, it keeps the line keeps moving." She pointed to the counter. "We need at least 25…"

Having finally learned that there were times when arguing wouldn't be tolerated, the teenager grumbled under her breath as she sat down to her task. "If I ever have a party, we're gonna have stuff we can eat with our hands…like pizza..."

Smiling to herself, Christine turned and gave Seeley his instructions. "I need you to bring in that white folding table and the black chairs that are out in the garage and set them up in here. That way your dad won't have to worry about getting that done when he gets home.

"Is that big table gonna fit in here?" He scratched his neck as he estimated the size of the room. "It's gonna be close…there won't be much room to move around it..."

"I know, but I think it'll work. I want to make sure we have a place for everyone to sit and eat." Seeing his uncertainty, she shrugged. "Let's just try it, okay?"

"Alright." He jogged out to the garage as Christine turned to her youngest.

"C'mon, Max. Let's make sure all the clutter is out of the way." She grimaced slightly as she handed him a box of crayons. "Why are these out on the counter? I thought I asked you to pick up your art supplies."

"I'm sorry. I guess I forgot." The boy's lip trembled as he picked up his colorful paper and scissors. "I was making Pops a get well card…"

"Oh…" Christine reached over to rub his shoulder. "That's very nice of you, Max. I'm sure he'll like it."

"Yeah…" He nodded sadly. "But when can I give it to him? You said I was too young to go see him at the hospital…"

Sniffling softly, Joy interrupted as she fidgeted with a napkin. "Maybe we can go see Pops later tonight, Mom. He'd like that...he wouldn't want to spend Christmas by himself, you know…"

"I know, Sweetie, but Grammy is with him...he won't be alone on Christmas…" Trying to be positive, Christine forced a smile as her older son walked into the room carrying the table. "Besides, Max is correct. He is too young to go to an intensive care ward, but maybe we can skype later if your Pops isn't too sleepy..."

"I don't get it, Mom." Grunting as he set the table up, Seeley shook his head. "It was a minor surgery, right? To ease the pain in his feet? So why can't he come home?"

"Honey, your Pops is almost ninety. At his age, there's no such thing as minor surgery. He's had some complications, that's all. His extended hospital stay is just precautionary." Because she'd wanted to avoid that unpleasant topic on Christmas Day, Christine tried to smile as she looked at her children. "I tell you what...why don't you kids go change your clothes before our company gets here?"

All of them looked at her in surprise. "I thought you wanted help. I still need to bring in the chairs, Mom…," Seeley began.

"And I only have half of the silverware wrapped…"

"It's okay...I'll finish the chores. You go get cleaned up. Oh, and Joy? Nothing with big holes or stains…"

"MOM!"

Shaking her head at her daughter's dramatic sigh, Christine tried to busy herself with getting the rest of the silverware ready, but her thoughts kept returning to her son's question. He was right. Her father's surgery was supposed to be a routine laser procedure, designed to smooth out some of the scars and ridges that had formed as the multiple fractures of his tarsal bones had healed after his feet had been severely beaten while he'd been held as a prisoner of war. The hope was that there would be less bony protrusions rubbing on the nerves in his foot, thus easing his pain and increasing his mobility.

The surgery on the right foot had gone off without a hitch, and her father had been so thrilled with the results that he'd quickly scheduled the procedure for his left, but then...something had gone terribly wrong.

Blinking back tears, Christine couldn't help but remember how frightened her normally calm mother had seemed as she explained what had happened over the phone.

"He's had...a bad reaction to the anesthesia...in a coma...maybe a stroke? I don't know...he won't talk to me. It's bad, Christine…he isn't responding...I need you to come quickly..."

It had been so bad that her elderly mother's superior memory had failed her, and she couldn't remember all the scary details the doctor had given her after the procedure. Fortunately, the anesthesiologist knew there was the possibility of her father having a bad reaction, given her his previous medical history, and had begun treating him immediately. After a tense 24 hours, her father had improved rapidly and was finally awake and out of danger...at least for now. His foot was healing nicely, and he was ready to 'get the hell outta Dodge' as soon as possible.

However, the anesthesiologist was taking no chances with his geriatric patient, and so her father was still recuperating in the intensive care ward, and would miss the family Christmas dinner this year. Even though she knew it was the right decision, the thought that her father wouldn't be able to celebrate Christmas at home with his family was not only sad...it was almost imponderable. She couldn't remember the last time he'd missed a holiday dinner.

The 'Booth and Brennan Christmas Feast' was, for all intents and purposes, an event of legendary proportions. Everyone was welcomed with open arms, from the lowliest forensics intern to the most well respected authors, as well as members of Congress and famous musicians. There was an enormous selection of every sort of food imaginable, with real turkey on one end of the buffet table to appease her father and tofurkey on the other end to make her mother happy. And the desserts...the pies, the layer cakes, Ms. Julian's pralines...they were a wondrous sight to behold.

After her parents had sold their house and moved to the retirement center, the dinner venue had to change, and Christine had been quick to volunteer. It was still an amazing feast, and her parents loved being able to enjoy dinner without having to do all the work. It was hard to imagine a Christmas dinner without them...

Folding a napkin around some flatware, Christine sniffled slightly. When she'd visited her father at the hospital a few days ago, she'd mentioned postponing the family gathering until her father was better, but he wouldn't hear of it.

"What? Not have Christmas dinner on Christmas Day? No way! I don't want everyone to be disappointed just because I'm stuck here in No Man's Land, okay? Look, honey...I want you to have fun with everybody, even if I'm not there. My grandkids need to have a great Christmas without worrying about me. I'm gonna be fine...me and your mom are gonna have Christmas dinner here in my room and then we'll be over to your house some night for dinner before you know it. Don't fret."

"Easier said than done., " she mumbled as she folded another napkin. "Especially since right now the state of his health is all we can think about…"

Christine's thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. "That must be Parker…," she said to herself as she rose to greet her guests.

"Hey, Chrissy! How are you?" After giving his sister a hug, Parker grinned as he pulled off his coat and gloves. "Brr...it sure feels like a white Christmas out there." He and his wife followed Christine into the kitchen. "So are you doing okay? How are Dad and Bones?"

"Daddy is a lot better, but because of his age, Dr. Stein wants him to stay a few more days for observation after the scare with the anesthetic. I guess the surgery on his foot was a success, so that's good news…"

"Yeah, well, I hope so. I can't imagine he'd be too happy if he couldn't get around after all that mess with the coma and everything else." Pulling some mugs from the cupboard, he poured some coffee for himself and his wife. "Poor Dad...it must've really upset him when he found out he had to stay in the hospital over Christmas…"

"It did. Mom said he's threatening to get a court order from Judge Aubrey so he can leave…" Christine giggled softly. "At least he's feeling well enough to be ornery." She hesitated slightly, glancing at her brother. "I was so afraid that we were going to lose him, Parker…"

"Yeah...I know." He nodded to his wife. "That's what I told Meredith, too. I mean, I guess...someday...you know…we might not have Dad around at Christmas, but I hope that's a long way off. I can't bear to think of that, but...I guess that's how life works."

"I know...but he's doing a lot better now." Christine bit her lip and exhaled slowly. "At least he can have visitors, so maybe you and Hank can go up to the hospital later this evening if you want. They flew in from Brussels yesterday, and they'll be here at the house soon. They're staying with Carla's family..."

"Going to see Dad this evening is a good idea, Chrissy…"

He was interrupted as the doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it!" Max raced to the door and threw it open. "Pajack! Grandma A! Merry Christmas!"

"Hey, buddy!" Hodgins wheeled himself in to the house with Angela close behind. "Did you get some good stuff for Christmas?"

"Yeah! I got a new bug box and a rock tumbler…"

"Hello...anybody home?" Hank Booth and his family stood in the doorway, laughing at all the commotion. "It's a little drafty to leave the door wide open, isn't it?"

"Hi, Uncle Hank! Hi, Aunt Carla! Where's Brenna?" Joy laughed happily as her cousin bounced into the house. "There you are...come see what I got for Christmas…"

"Hank! Looking good, brother…" Parker shook his younger brother's hand, raising a teasing eyebrow as he glanced at Hank's waistband. "I see you've enjoyed some home cooking since you've retired from the Army…"

"Well, what can I say? Carla's a whiz in the kitchen…and after having to eat Army chow for so long, it's like being in Heaven..."

"Yeah, I can imagine." Parker reached out to shake Hodgins' hand. "It's good to see you…'

Coughing slightly, Hodgins shrugged. "I'm glad I could make it another year. This bronchitis just keeps hanging on…"

Angela patted her husband's shoulder. "His doctor says he needs to rest, but that just isn't in Hodgins' DNA."

"I can rest some other time, Angie, but it's Christmas, and right now I want to see Max's rock tumbler…"

Satisfied that Hodgins was in good hands, Angela sat on the sofa next to Hank's wife. "How are things in Brussels, Carla? Have you been to Paris recently?"

Meanwhile, Hank, carrying a platter of cut vegetables and a plate of cookies, made his way to the kitchen so he could talk to his sister. "Hey, Christine…" Setting the food on the counter, he gave her a hug. "How are you? You look tired, Sissy…"

"I'm fine." She grinned as she snagged an iced sugar cookie. "Carla's been busy, I see…"

"Yeah, she and her mom spent some time in her parents' kitchen last night making all sorts of stuff. With all the weight I might put on over the holidays, I may have to book myself an extra seat for the flight home."

Christine laughed as she shook her head at her brother. "You look fine, Hank…"

"Thanks." He tried to smile, but it was obvious something was bothering him. "Listen, Sis...I'm sorry you've had to take on all the responsibility for Mom and Dad's care, since you're the only one who lives close by. I know it can be rough, having to take care of your own stuff and worrying about them, too…"

"It's no problem, Hank." Christine opened the oven to check on the turkey. "Most of the time they just do their own thing at the retirement center…they're happy there, and they don't have to worry about the house..."

"I know, but with Dad's latest scare…" He sighed heavily. "When you called me to tell me what had happened, I felt so helpless. I mean, there I was, thousands of miles away, and I wasn't sure I could get here in time if I needed to…" He pinched his lips together, hoping to compose himself. "Anyway, Carla and I have been talking it over, and I think I'm going to look into getting a transfer to the States. Her parents are getting up in years, too, and we'll just feel better that way. It may not be in DC, but it'll still be closer than being in Europe."

"You know Dad isn't going to be happy if you rearrange your life just for him, Hank." She shook her head as she got ready to slice the ham. "He's so obstinate sometimes…"

"Well, I'm a grown man, and I can live where I please, right? And if I just happen to move closer to where he lives, so much the better." Hank smiled as he stole a piece of ham. "I don't want you to have to deal with things by yourself, okay? I know Parker can help, too, but this is something we want to do…"

"If it's really what you want, I'd love to have you closer, and I think Mom and Dad would be happy, too.." Christine put an arm around her younger brother. "Thanks, Hank…"

"No problem, Sissy...now...let's eat!"

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Michael-Vincent gently rapped on his glass with his fork to get the crowd's attention. "Thanks to all of you who've come over to share Christmas dinner tonight. Our family...our friends and neighbors...our coworkers...Christine and I are glad to have all of you share a meal with us as a way to celebrate the holiday." He hesitated slightly, puffing out a small sigh. "Even though Christine's parents couldn't join us this evening, we know they're here with us in spirit, and we hope to have them back in our midst as soon as possible. So...dig in!"

Soon everybody was laughing and talking as they enjoyed their feast. As she glanced around the room, however, Christine couldn't help but feel a little glum. She knew it was silly, but it just wasn't the same without her parents being there at the table, bickering over some little detail in a story they were telling. She missed them terribly, worried that this would be the new normal.

Michael-Vincent leaned over to whisper in her ear. "I know how you feel, Chrissy...I miss them, too, but your dad will be up and around in no time…"

"I hope so…"

She was interrupted by the doorbell. Surprised, she looked at her husband. "Who could that be?"

"Only one way to find out…" He pushed his chair away from the table and went to answer it.

"Hey...what are you doing here?"

Coming to see who it was, Christine gasped audibly. "Uncle Aubrey? Is it really you?"

"Yep." He grinned as he and his wife, Jessica, stood in the doorway. Running his hand through his silvery hair, he shrugged. "Sorry to crash the party, but we've brought you a couple of Christmas surprises." He pointed over his shoulder. "Look who's here…"

"Daddy!" Christine quickly moved to tenderly embrace the frail man propped up in a wheelchair. "But...how? I don't understand. I thought his doctor wouldn't allow it…"

"Yeah, Dad…" Hank gently grasped his father's hand. "I'm so glad you're here. I was gonna come see you tonight, but this is so much better." The younger man was unashamed as he wiped away his tears. "But I'm with Sissy...I don't see how they let leave the hospital…"

"Well, that's another part of the surprise!," her mother chuckled as she gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Look who came to see us at the hospital while Aubrey and Jessica were there with us..."

It was Parker's turn to be shocked. "Ian! Marissa! What are you doing here?"

"Well, we were hoping to have some Christmas dinner...if you've left anything for us, that is!" As he gave his father and mother a hug, Dr. Ian Booth laughed out loud. "We'd heard from Mom that Pops was in the intensive care ward, so we stopped at the hospital on the way over, but then we got shanghaied…"

"It was more like a jailbreak!," Booth chuckled in a raspy voice. "I told the nurse running the floor that Dr. Booth here was gonna break me out of that joint so I could see my kids and grandkids at Christmas, but she didn't believe me…"

Brennan gave her husband a sly wink. "But Ian called your father's doctor and convinced him that since your father was feeling better, he should be allowed to come to dinner, at least for a little while, since technically he'd be under a doctor's care the entire time..."

Ian grinned happily. "And what d'ya know? It worked! So here we are. "Is there any ham left?"

"Wait...I still don't understand." Parker's wife Meredith shook her finger at her son. "You told me you couldn't make it to DC for Christmas this year…"

"Oh, c'mon, Ma." He laughed merrily at his mother's annoyance. "It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you we were coming, right? Anyway, Marissa has some gifts for you…"

Smiling shyly, Marissa produced two small gift bags. "I hope you like them…"

All eyes were on Parker and Meredith as they pulled the tissue from their bags. "Wait…" Parker smiled broadly at his wife as he held up a coffee mug. "Look at what mine says...World's Greatest…"

"Grandma!," Meredith exclaimed as she waved hers over her head. "Oh my goodness! Congratulations! When? How!"

"Surely you don't need a doctor to tell you how, Ma!" Seeing her blush, he nudged Marissa, who giggled softly. "Matthew Henry Booth will be here in April...maybe around the time of his Great Grandpop's birthday."

"That's great! I can't wait to meet him!" Booth reached out to take Brennan's hand. "Well, kids...I've got just one thing to say…where's my dinner?"

Everyone laughed and began talking at once, enjoying the fact that they'd been able to share in the good news of Booth and Brennan's first great grandchild.

Her father was completely in his element, telling Max how pleased he was with the get well card, and bickering with her mother as he told his grandkids about the time he'd shot a clown off an ice cream truck.

Smiling to herself as she fixed some plates for her parents, Christine closed her eyes and savored the feeling of having her family together again for Christmas.

She never wanted to take the time spent with her family for granted. It was too precious...and too easily lost.

No matter how many miles apart they were during the years, she hoped the annual Booth/Brennan/Hodgins Christmas dinner would be a family tradition for many generations to come.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

_Should auld acquaintance be forgot,_

_And never brought to mind?_

_Should auld acquaintance be forgot,_

_And days of auld lang syne?_

_For auld lang syne, my dear,_

_For auld lang syne,_

_We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,_

_For auld lang syne._

* * *

**_Thank you for sticking with me as I wrote this story. I had a lot of fun and the kind comments are appreciated. Laura_**


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